A top U.N. envoy held discussions this weekend with Syrian President Basher al-Assad that were "constructive and helpful," the U.N. spokesman's office said yesterday in a statement. Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N. special envoy for the implementation of Resolution 1559, was ordered to Syria by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan, briefed by Road-Larsen in Paris today, "was encouraged by Roed-Larsen's report," according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Annan "will continue working together with President Assad, the Syrian government, and other parties for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1559," said Dujarric. In related news, Annan said that he will be sending a verification team back to Lebanon to ensure that there are no Syrian intelligence and military troops in the country. Resolution 1559 called for all Syrian forces to pull out of Syria.
