Mario Monti in Beirut, meets Mikati

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti arrived in Lebanon on Saturday for a one day visit during which he met with his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati to discus the violence in Syria and other regional issues.

Monti also met with the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and will visit the Italian United Nations (UN) peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon to monitor a cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanon.

During a joint prime minister's news conference in Beirut, Monti said the Italian government believed the UN special envoy's role in the Syrian conflict "should not be reduced to that of a mediator between conflicting parties.

"Rather, he said, the role of Kofi Annan "should be in line with the mandate conferred by the UN General Assembly and with the presidential declaration of the (UN) Security Council.

"Annan's plan for the Syrian crisis includes a cease-fire deadline calling for government forces to pull out of towns and cities by Tuesday and for both government and rebels to lay down their arms by 6 am local time Thursday.

Monti is on a regional tour that will also take him to Israel and the Palestinian territories.