Syrian President Bashar al-Assad renewed on Wednesday a call upon world powers not to interfere in the internal affairs of neighboring Lebanon, the official SANA news agency reported.

The president renewed the call during his talks with two visiting U.S. senators, John Kerry and Christopher Dodd, with whom "the level of bilateral relations and means of activating the Mideast peace process" were also discussed.

President Assad also reasserted Syria's support to Lebanon, saying that we support everything the Lebanese agree upon.

Assad had made a similar call last week in a meeting with another U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, who was the first U.S. lawmaker to make a visit here since January 2005.

On Wednesday meeting, the two sides also reviewed a report of a top-level U.S. bipartisan panel led by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, which proposed U.S. President George W. Bush to engage in direct talks with Syria and Iran on Iraqi and broader issues in the Middle East.

Assad "renewed Syria's firm stance over the peace process" and voiced permanent readiness to realize it under the patronage of " an honest international sponsorship," SANA said.

On Iraq, the two sides underlined support to the current political process, voicing the necessities of setting down a foreign forces withdrawal schedule and keeping Iraq's integrity and stability as well as halting violence.

The two sides also talked about the "deteriorating situations" in the occupied Palestinian territories, stressing the need to achieve the inter-Palestinian national unity.

Despite loud objections from the administration of President Bush, Senator John Kerry and Christopher Dodd flew into Damascus on Tuesday for talks with Syrian officials on bringing about stability and security to Iraq.

Kerry, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2004 and critic of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq, just wrapped up visits to Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.

Dodd, also a Democrat who is considering whether to run for U.S. president in 2008, had also paid a visit to Iraq.

Syria has been under unilateral U.S. economic sanctions since May 2004 for its alleged roles of supporting terrorism and interference in Lebanon.

The United States withdrew its ambassador to Syria in January 2005 over Damascus' alleged role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Damascus denies any role in the killing.

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