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French, Iranian

ministers to meet

over Lebanon

DAMASCUS: French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati will meet in Damascus on Saturday to discuss ways of arranging a ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hizbollah, a French spokesman said.

French officials said earlier the meeting had already started, but But French Foreign Ministry spokesman Yves Doutriaux told Reuters that the meeting was postponed due to schedule changes.

He said de Charette went for a meeting with Syrian Vice-President Abdel-Halim Khaddam before holding the talks with Velayati.

The meeting of the Iranian and French ministers would be the highest-level meeting between a Western country and Iran since the European Union condemned Tehran last month for condoning Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel.

Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov arrived in Damascus on Saturday and U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher was due later on Saturday to try to arrange a ceasefire in Lebanon.

International pressure for a ceasefire increased after Israeli gunners killed more than 100 refugees at a U.N. base in south Lebanon on Thursday.

At least 150 Lebanese, mostly civilians, have been killed in the 10-day campaign which Israel says is designed to stop Hizbollah rocket attacks against northern Israel. About 50 Israelis have been wounded by Hizbollah rockets since April 11.-Reuter