Lebanon and Syria traded accusation over Damascus' invitation to Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, made their tense relations even worse.

Damascus says Siniora has missed his chance, while Beirut argues that the invitation was not serious.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with Arabic daily al-Hayat published Monday that Damascus had invited Siniora twice.

The invitation was extended to Siniora personally at the Arab Summit in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, in March and the second time through Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri when he visited Syria in May.

"However, Siniora did not come. What can Syria do other than that?" Assad said.

Siniora, who is on an official trip to Switzerland, refused to respond to Assad's claim, local media reported Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Telecommunication Minister Marwan Hamadeh said Syria's invitation to Siniora was issued in the form of "a summons" that did not take into account the premier's own schedule.

"The invitation was sent as if it were a summons, which is an improper thing to do to the prime minister of Lebanon," the minister said.

"It was natural that Siniora asked for a two-day delay of his meeting with Syrian officials. If Syria had good intentions toward Lebanon, then why didn't they reschedule the date?" he added.

Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi accused Syria of mounting a personal campaign against Siniora.

"Assad's comments come as a continuation of what the Syrian Information Minister and the Syrian Foreign Minister said days ago about refusing Siniora's visit," Aridi said.

Aridi made the comments after Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilad hinted last Friday that Siniora did not set the atmosphere for his visit to Damascus and hurled accusations at Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said last Thursday,that the time was not right to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Siniora had been designated by a Lebanese national roundtable conference in April to go to Damascus to seek Syria's help in banning Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps in Lebanon, demarcate the Lebanese-Syrian borders, especially in the disputed Shebaa Farms, and establish diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus.

Relations between Beirut and Damascus have deteriorated since former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive bomb blast in Beirut on Feb. 14, 2005, which sparked massive anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon.

Under mounting international pressure, Syria withdrew its forces from Lebanon in April 2005, ending a 29-year military presence there.

Source: Xinhua