Cairo- Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak has suggested two solutions to the issue of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms on the Lebanese border, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Tuesday.

Speaking after a meeting in Cairo with Mubarak, he said: "The first suggestion is using Egypt's international relations, especially with the US, to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from the Shebaa Farms."

The second proposal was to convince Syria to sign a document stating the occupied land belongs to Lebanon, thus forcing Israel to leave as it had agreed to United Nations Security Council Resolution 425.

In 1978, the UN resolution called on Israel to withdraw its forces immediately from Lebanon, and established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Geagea described the latter suggestion as the "faster solution".

Mubarak and Geagea also discussed the Syrian troop buildup along the Lebanese northern borders, which Geagea called "inexplicable".

"If it the troops' presence was aimed at securing the borders, then there should have been full coordination with Lebanon," said Geagea.

Syrian troops had occupied Lebanon since the 1975-90 civil war, withdrawing only under heavy pressure from anti-Syrian elements in 2005 following the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, an opponent of the Syrian presence in the country.

The assassination was widely blamed on Syria, and promptyed renewed international pressure, led by the United States and France, on Syria to withdraw. Syria always denied involvement in the assassination.

Recently, thousands of Syrian soldiers were deployed near the border area in northern Lebanon, with the government saying the moved was intended to counter smuggling.

"It is a kind of moral pressure put on the residents of northern Lebanon, especially considering that most belong to the March 14 coalition and there are parliamentary elections nearing," added the Lebanese Forces leader.

The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat pointed out on Tuesday that Geagea is a leading figure of the ruling March 14 coalition.

Sources told the paper that this visit, the first to the Egyptian capital, reflects a new trend by both Geagea and his party to strengthen Lebanese-Arab relations.

Geagea, who arrived late Monday, told reporters that his visit to Cairo has been scheduled since last May but was postponed owing to the conflicts in Lebanon, adding that he will be visiting other Arab countries soon. (dpa)