UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in Algiers Tuesday he has secured a Syrian pledge to withdraw from neighboring Lebanon under a clear timetable.
 
On the sidelines of the 17th Arab summit, Annan told reporters that as soon as he was presented a timetable, he would urge Syria to fully implement a UN resolution on its withdrawal.

"I had a very constructive discussion with President Assad and he reconfirmed his commitment to resolution 1559," Annan said after talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is also here for the summit.

Thirteen Arab heads of state and senior officials from 22 AL member states attended the first of the two-day summit at the Nations Palace in the Algerian capital's western suburb.

The UN chief is scheduled to hold talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud on Wednesday. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud was among those who bowed out of the summit citing uncertain domestic situations.

The resolution, proposed by the United States and France, was approved by the UN security council in September 2004, calling for a full withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon.

Syria has been under mounting international pressure to pull out its 14,000 troops and intelligence forces from Lebanon, especially after former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a massive bombing attack on Feb. 14.

Syria deployed its forces in 1976 to intervene in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and has kept its military presence there ever since.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2005)