Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora has stressed that "Syria's role in the region can not be ignored," local daily Al-safier reported Monday.

Syria plays a key role in the region and any "Lebanese-Syrian reconciliation would benefit Lebanon," Seniora was quoted as saying in an interview with the Qatari TV al-Jazeera on Sunday night.

"Syria embraces Arab causes, and Lebanon in turn should embrace Syria," Seniora said, stressing however that Lebanon does not need "chaperone" regarding peace talks with Israel.

He promised that Lebanon was committed to UN resolutions 425 and 1701, and the Arab peace initiative.

Resolution 425 called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces form Lebanon, while resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah in 2006, called for the cease of aggression between Israel and Lebanon.

Seniora, meanwhile, welcomed the recent Arab attempts towards rapprochement between Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, stressing that such a step would benefit Lebanon as well.

He ruled out any political influence over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) which was launched in the Hague on March 1 to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2009)