Foreign ministers of Arab countries said Thursday the Taif Agreement signed in 1989 was the key to solving the Syrian-Lebanese crisis.

The officials discussed a wide range of regional issues during the one-day meeting here at the headquarters of the Arab League and made preparations for the upcoming Arab summit slated for March 22-23 in Algiers.

At the end of the talks, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Kurbi, chairman of the meeting, said, "We are confident the Taif agreement is the basis to solve this crisis andput Syrian-Lebanese relations back on the right path."

The agreement, signed between Damascus and various Lebanese groups in 1989, put an end to Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and outlined the gradual pullout of Syrian forces from Lebanon.

The talks came amid mounting international pressure on Syria topull out its troops from Lebanon after the assassination of formerLebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14.

Both Lebanese and Syrian foreign ministers were absent from Thursday's meeting.

Upon the request of Syria, the Syrian-Lebanese issue did not enter the formal agenda of the meeting. But the officials held informal talks on the issue at a closed-door session in view of its importance and impact on the whole region, an Arab diplomatic source told Xinhua.

The foreign ministers said they did not see the need for a public statement.

"It is not a condition that a statement or a decision comes outbecause there are some things that require calm diplomacy at a particular stage," Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told anews conference.

He said that by implementing Taif, Syria could avert the threatof UN sanctions.

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz also urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday to pull his troops out of Lebanon "rapidly" in accordance with UN Security Council demands, Saudi officials said.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday that he will soonsend his envoy Terje Roed-Larsen back to the Middle East to press Syria on its troops withdrawal from Lebanon.

"I will be sending back Terje Larsen to the region to discuss the issue of withdrawal with the two governments concerned," Annantold reporters upon his arrival at the UN headquarters in New York.

He said Syrians had indicated that they are planning to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon, and yet the details of their plan remain unclear.

Annan is going to present a second report to the UN Security Council in April on the implementation of a resolution calling on Syrian troops to leave Lebanon.

Asked whether he was concerned that a hasty Syrian withdrawal might create a political vacuum, Annan replied: "I think this is something that everyone is conscious of and it will have to be managed very carefully."

The resolution, adopted by the Security Council last September,calls for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, disbanding all militias and extending government control over the whole country.

In Washington, US President George W. Bush reiterated his call for Syrian withdrawal.

"The message is loud and clear -- from the United States and France and many other nations -- that Syria must withdraw not onlyher troops but her secret service forces out of Lebanon now," Bushtold reporters.