In an interview with the Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) German news agency on Friday, Prime Minister Saad Hariri thanked Germany for supporting the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in Lebanon with its contingent of UNIFIL troops, and for lending its vessels to aid in search efforts after the Ethiopian airliner crash off the coast of Lebanon in January.

Hariri is scheduled to head to Germany on Sunday for an official visit.

“Lebanese-German relations have always had historical ties,” the prime minister said.

Hariri said relations with Syrian are going well. Both countries are behaving in a positive manner, in order to serve common economic, trade and cultural interests, he added.

The PM will visit Damascus in the next few weeks to hold deep discussions on several issues, he said.

-NOW Lebanon