Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held separate talks with President Emile Lahoud and Premier Fouad Saniora about the Syrian-Lebanese crisis on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. 

Sources told An Nahar that during the Sunday meetings in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt used its influence in the region to prevent an escalation in the crisis between Lebanon's parliamentary majority and Syria.

They said Mubarak is seeking to avoid the negative repercussions such a crisis would have on the national dialogue in Beirut.

Fourteen rival leaders have been discussing since March 2 Lebanon's most contentious issues. During the last round of talks they failed to agree on the fate of Lahoud, whom the majority wants to remove from power. They now have a single item on their agenda, Hizbullah's arms.

Despite their differences of opinion, Lahoud and Saniora made sure not to show the tension between them, the sources told An Nahar.

Mubarak said he was closely following reconciliation talks between the Lebanese leaders and expressed hope that they would reach positive results.

Sources close to Lahoud said Mubarak told the Lebanese president that he believes dialogue and the easing of media campaigns in Lebanon and Syria are the best ways to mend relations between the two countries.

Relations between Beirut and Damascus plummeted following the Feb. 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri that many Lebanese blame on Syria. Under intense local and international pressure the Assad regime withdrew its troops last April after almost 30-years of domination.

In June last year, anti-Syrian politicians grabbed the majority of seats in parliament and since then ties between the two countries worsened.