U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a rare meeting with Syria's foreign minister on Saturday as the West stepped up pressure on Damascus not to interfere in Lebanon's presidential election process.
The United States and France, Lebanon's former colonial power, have led international criticism of what they call Syria's constant meddling in its neighbor's affairs. Syria denies the accusations.
Officials made no comment on Rice's talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, held on the sidelines of an international conference on Iraq in Istanbul.  
Rice also discussed the Lebanon crisis at a meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries. No statement was made after those talks.
Earlier, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he had emphasized to Moallem in bilateral talks in Istanbul the importance of non-interference in Lebanon by outsiders.
"I warned Syria of the imperative need to allow the presidential election process to go ahead according to the constitution... without any external interference," Kouchner told reporters.
"A political vacuum in Lebanon serves the interests of neither Syria nor of the region."
Kouchner said Moallem had signalled Damascus would be ready to open full diplomatic relations with Lebanon on certain conditions. "I am doubtful... There's a little drop of optimism in an ocean of pessimism," Kouchner said.
Lebanon's presidential election has been postponed until November 12 to allow more time for rival pro- and anti-Syrian groups to agree on a compromise candidate to be elected by parliament to replace pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud whose term expires on November 23.
Agreement on a new president is regarded as vital to resolving Lebanon's most serious political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. It pits the Western-backed, anti-Syrian government against the opposition, led by pro-Syrian Hezbollah.
Syria slams U.S. 'interference' in Lebanese elections
Syria on Saturday slammed what it said was U.S. meddling in the upcoming Lebanese presidential elections, accusing it of hindering dialogue between the Lebanese.
"The immoral and blunt U.S. interference in Lebanon's internal affairs has been clearly demonstrated," said an editorial in the state-run Tishrin daily, which reflects government thinking.
"Condoleezza Rice speaks about Lebanon as if it is an American state," Tishrin said, referring to comments made by the U.S. secretary of state on her flight to Europe Thursday, in which she laid down strong conditions that she said the U.S. and Lebanon's European backers demand in the upcoming election.
Rice said Lebanon's next president must be committed to constitutional order, support UN Security Council resolutions protecting the country's sovereignty and commit to seeing through a tribunal for the suspects in the 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Despite marathon discussions between pro-government and opposition leaders in Lebanon, the two groups have made no headway in electing a new president to prevent a power vacuum or the formation of two rival administrations.
In comments to the pan-Arab Al Hayat daily published Saturday, al-Moallem blamed the United States. "The problem is not in Damascus but in Washington which opposes any compromise candidate and any dialogue between the Lebanese," he said  
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