The U.S. and France increased Syria's isolation as it demanded that it stop all meddling in Lebanon and Iraq and fully cooperate with the UN investigation team into the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri. At a conference held at the initiative of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during which the world's major players gathered to provide Lebanon with economic and political backing, Rice and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan demanded that Syria stop interfering in Lebanon, cooperate with the UN probe team and prevent insurgents from entering Iraq.Rice and Annan were accompanied by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abdel-Gheith, Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who all gave their support after Siniora presented his government's reform plan. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana also took part.
Rice also reiterated the U.S.'s position on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 and the disarmament of Hizbullah, saying: "No democracy can exist when a certain group, especially in the government, which persists in maintaining the option of violence." She added: "There is one authority and one security force that reports to that authority." She also said Damascus must remain "true to the letter and the spirit of Resolution 1559."
Rice said participants in the meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN's 60th General Assembly, wanted "full [Syrian] cooperation with the Mehlis [UN] investigation and that the truth be found whatever that truth is." Rice further demanded that Syria withdraw all remaining intelligence personnel from Lebanon "because Lebanon has to be free of foreign interference and Syria must respect the national sovereignty of Lebanon." Rice said: "It is clear that Syria needs to get on the right side of the events that are going on in the Middle East that means to cut off the routes that insurgents are using to use Syrian territory to penetrate into Iraq." Rice added: "This gathering I think, sends a powerful sign to the world, that the international community is devoted and committed to a peaceful prosperous, democratic and sovereign Lebanon."