German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer arrived in Lebanon Friday on the first leg of a Middle East tour that will also take him to Syria, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Egypt. The German official is scheduled to meet with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his Lebanese counterpart Minister Jean Obeid in Beirut. According to official sources, Fischer will urge the Lebanese to keep the situation calm with Israel and "not to look for trouble with the Jewish state". The sources added that Fischer would tell Lebanese officials that "a military venture with Israel would be ill-timed with the Lebanese presidential elections around the corner." The Lebanese presidential election is due to be held in November. The sources said Fischer is also due to discuss the issue of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon. Lebanon is against granting the right of permanent abode to the refugees, arguing this would upset the fragile confessional system. The Palestinians refugees who are now living in camps are mainly Sunni Moslems. Fischer is also expected to ask Arab countries included in his tour to support Germany's bid to become a permanent member in the U.N. Security Council, the sources said. The German official is due to leave Beirut by land for Syria on Saturday, stopping for a sightseeing trip in the Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon.
