**Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, has arrived in Damascus for his first official visit since his anti-Syrian coalition came to power in 2005.**Mr Hariri was due to hold several hours of talks on bilateral relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
This is Ms Hariri’s first visit to Syria since the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in Beirut in February 2005.
Syria has been widely blamed for the attack - a charge denied by Damascus.
Syria was forced later that year to withdraw its troops from Lebanon after 29 years.
‘Brotherly ties’
Relations between the two leaders have improved in recent times
Last month, Mr Hariri said he was interested in forging relations with Syria based on “clarity and honesty”.
“The government wants to raise brotherly ties between Lebanon and Syria to a level in line with the two countries’ historical ties and mutual interest,” he said before his government received a vote of confidence in parliament.
Lebanon’s national unity cabinet was formed after five months of tough negotiations in the wake of June’s election, which was won by Saad Hariri’s pro-Western coalition.
The government includes two members of pro-Syrian Islamist group Hezbollah.