Syria is expected to completely withdraw its troops from Lebanon before the elections that will take place in next May, Syrian officials said.

Syria was forced to initiate the withdrawal of its troops from Lebanon after the Lebanese took to the streets to protest Syrian invasion and claim its involvement in the February 14 assassination of Lebanese opposition leader Rafik Hariri.

“The longtime close cooperation between Syria and Lebanon had enabled Syria to decrease its troop levels to 10,000 from 40,000, coupled with the full withdrawal of these troops before the forthcoming elections in Lebanon,” was said in the letter from Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Shara to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Omar Karami said he would probably step down amid the mass protests from the opposition and his failure to persuade it to become part of a national unity government which is expected to lead the country to the May elections.

Syria has already opened the withdrawal program for its troops which is expected to be carried out in two stages. Damascus has already withdrawn one third of its 14,000 troops in Lebanon.