BEIRUT, May 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Lebanese President Emile Lahoud
Friday said Lebanon was not interested in the United States-
sponsored efforts to convene an international conference for peace
in the Middle East, the Oriental radio reported.
   Instead, Lebanon prefers an Arab land-for-peace plan updated in
March at the Arab summit in Beirut, according to the president.
   During his talks with United Nations Secretary General Kofi
Annan's personal representative for southern Lebanon Steffan de
Mistura, Lahoud stressed that "Lebanon adheres to the Arab
initiative and to the U.N. resolutions in line with the decision
taken by the recent Arab Summit conference in Beirut."
   "This position is unchangeable. We have heard of movements, new
approaches and new ideas, but we shall not change our convictions,"
the president added.
   The recent Arab summit adopted the peace proposal put forward by
Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Adbul-Aziz.
   The Saudi proposal calls for normalization of Arab-Israeli ties
in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from all the Arab lands
occupied since the 1967 Middle East war.
   U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell suggested early in May
holding an international conference to promote the Middle East
peace process. There has been no warm response from the Arab world,
with some Arab leaders in fear that the idea might come out of
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
   During Powell's April mediation shuttle tour in the Middle East,
Sharon proposed a regional peace conference on condition that
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat must not be invited.
   Arab leader insist that Arafat's attendance be a must in any of
the Middle East peace conference. They also doubt that Sharon's
government would be willing to give up all the occupied Arab lands
in exchange for peace with Arab countries.  Enditem