Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa was quoted Sunday as saying that the Arab League mediation to settle Lebanon's ongoing political crisis has not reached a dead end, but awaits outcome of his talks later in the day with Syrian officials in Damascus

The leading daily an-Nahar quoted Moussa as saying in a telephone interview: "the mediation has not reached a dead end and it will not reach a dead end."

However, he added, "the road is still long. Neither the Arabs nor any external side would help any Lebanese faction at the expense of the other."

He stressed that any settlement to the crisis should be based on a "no conqueror, no vanquished" concept.

The Arab League chief stressed that his return to Lebanon to resume the mediation "would be decided when I get convinced that my presence would benefit all the parties."

Moussa said he would visit Syria Sunday, stressing that "circumstances should be made available for a no conqueror, no vanquished settlement" to allow his return to Lebanon.

Asked whether the outcome of his talks in Damascus would determine his next steps and the date of his return to Lebanon, Moussa said: "Absolutely."

On whether the Saudi-mediated Mecca accord between the rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, would indicate that a similar settlement to the Lebanese crisis is ready, Moussa said: "The Palestinian situation has its own nature and it had reached civil war. But the situation in Lebanon is still under control. In Palestine there is no state (authority)."