Syria and Lebanon on Monday expressed their willingness to enhance bilateral ties in various fields for the common interest of the two neighbors, the official SANA news agency reported.

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora made the promises during their meeting on the sidelines of a Euro-Mediterranean summit in the Spanish city of Barcelona, SANA said.

Shara was quoted as saying to reporters that he focused on the importance of independence of the two countries and rejection of any foreign intervention in their internal affairs at the Barcelona meeting, which kicked off on Sunday.

"We are brothers and neighbors, and their national independence is important for both of them," Shara told the reporters." The two countries have opened a new page between them, and President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian leadership will be happy about what they will hear regarding this meeting I have held with Mr. Siniora ... and we welcome the Lebanese premier in Damascus," he added.

For his part, Siniora said that "the Lebanese do not deny what Syria had done to end internal strife in Lebanon and prevent the division of the country as well as getting rid of the Israeli occupation."

Describing his meeting with Shara as "very good", Siniora added that "things have returned to normal ... we and Syria are two sisterly countries and peoples ... and the relations will remain excellent and distinguished."

The Lebanese prime minister said "all things will be solved in a quiet way very soon."

Syria and Lebanon, two neighbors with an interweaved history, witnessed a low in bilateral relations since Lebanese ex-premier Rafik al-Hariri was murdered in a huge truck bombing in February, which many Lebanese blamed on Syria.

The heating-up anti-Syrian emotions and mounting international pressure forced Damascus to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending a military existence there for almost 30 years. Syrian troops first entered Lebanon in 1976 and helped it end a15-year civil war since 1975.

A UN report released in October implicating Syria of being involved in Hariri's killing and the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1636 demanding Damascus' full cooperation or face "further action".

Lebanon and Syria have not established normal ties and have no embassies in each other's capitals.

On the occasion of Lebanon's national day on Nov. 21, Assad expressed the keenness to keep fraternal ties with Lebanon, one day after Siniora vowed to forge healthy relations with Syria on the basis of mutual respect.

Source: Xinhua