Syria linked to Lebanon crisis: Mubarak

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Syria was part of the problem in Lebanon, and called on Damascus to help resolve the 15-month political crisis before hosting an Arab summit next month.

"The summit will be held in Syria and Syria is linked to the Lebanese problem. Therefore I hope that Syria would solve the problem," Mubarak said in remarks aired on Al Arabiya television on Tuesday.

"We should not be (in Damascus) resolving a problem that Syria is a party to," Mubarak said during a visit to Bahrain as part of tour of Gulf Arab countries aimed at unifying positions ahead of the annual Arab League summit.

Al Arabiya said Mubarak's remarks, among his most explicit comments regarding Syria's role in the crisis over electing a new president in Lebanon, were originally broadcast by Bahraini television.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said last week the Arab summit would collapse if Lebanon remained without a president because of a power struggle pitting his Western-and Saudi-backed government against an opposition led by the Shiite Hezbollah group, supported by Syria and Iran.

Lebanon postponed its presidential election again on Monday after rival leaders failed to reach a deal to end the country's political crisis which threatens to erupt into sectarian violence and continues to poison inter-Arab relations.

"I hope the Arab summit is held with full force (attendance). But there are problems such as the Lebanon problem which is a fundamental one," said Mubarak, whose country and regional power Saudi Arabia have been leading mediation efforts to help Siniora's government resolve the standoff.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on "regional countries" to help in the election of a president.

"I am deeply concerned and frustrated by the lack of progress in the situation in Lebanon. The long-lasting constitutional vacuum and the postponement of the election ... is unacceptable," Ban told Al Arabiya television.

"I sincerely hope and urge Lebanese political leaders to elect a president and restore political stability with the cooperation of regional countries," he said in remarks dubbed into Arabic by the station.

Syria is keen for high-level representation at the March 29-30 summit but Arab divisions over Lebanon have cast a shadow over the meeting.

A senior Syrian Foreign Ministry official said on Sunday that Damascus hopes a president will be elected in Lebanon in time to attend the meeting.