Beirut - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived Wednesday in the Lebanese capital Beirut on the second leg of a week- long Mideast diplomacy tour.

Solana arrived from Damascus, where he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim. with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The EU foreign policy chief was due to hold talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and House Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as Foreign Minister Fawzi Salkhouh.

He is scheduled to give a press conference later Wednesday before then travelling on to Egypt, the next stop on his tour.

In Damascus, Solana said he hoped that 2009 would be a year of peace talks. (dpa)