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... MONDAY, MA
Iranian, Syrian
Officials Meet
On Hostages
Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria, March 4-A
senior Iranian envoy met today with
Syria's foreign minister and dis-
cussed efforts to free Western hos-
tages held in Lebanon, an informed
source said.
The Syrian source, who refused
to be identified further, said the
meeting between Iranian diplomat
Mahmoud Hashemi and Syrian For-
eign Minister Farouk Charaa "ap-
pears to be to coordinate efforts
between the governments of Syria
and Iran to gain the release of all
the hostages" held by pro-Iranian
Shiite Moslem militants in Lebanon.
     Syria, Iran's main Arab ally, has
been instrumental in helping re-
lease Western hostages in 6e past.
It has 40,000 troops deployed in
much of Lebanon.
     The source said Hashemi, the
brother. of. Iranian President Ali
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, delivered
"a very cordial message" to Charaa
from Iranian Foreign Minister Ali
Akbar Velayati, including an invita-
tion for him to visit Tehran to meet
with Rafsanjani and Iran's spiritual
leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
     The source said Hashemi arrived
here after a visit to Beirut, where
he met with senior Shiite Moslem
figures on the hostage issue.
     "Nobody can be precise. about
how long the process will take.
There appears to be a genuine de-
sire by the Iranian president to end
this ordeal. But there are still dif-
ficulties," the source said.
Most of the 18
anon, who includeAeTWAYntorRele se 2000/08/08 CIA-RDP96-00789ROdO400020005-1
are believed held by Shiite Moslem
grouDs loyal to Iran.