UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has committed to working with the United Nations and all parties to implement fully Security Council resolution 1559 on its pullout from Lebanon, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday.

In a meeting with the press Annan said the Syrian president had relayed that to his special envoy on implementing the resolution, Terje Roed-Larsen.

Annan dispatched Roed-Larsen to Damascus last week to meet with al-Assad and bring a message. The meeting took place Sunday. The message urged him to cooperate fully with implementation of the resolution, the UN chiuef said.

Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004, calls for the pullout of Syrian troops from Lebanon. The withdrawal was monitored by a UN commission which said it was difficult to determine whether Syrian intelligence had left the country given its covert nature.

"Larsen did have a very good discussion with President Assad. I had sent a letter to Assad, through Larsen, urging him that we and the Syrian Government and all the parties concerned work together for the full implementation of [Security Council] resolution 1559," Annan said.

"And Larsen did get the assurance that they are prepared to work with us to fully implement 1559. And we are going to maintain the engagement."

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