DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree paving the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties with Lebanon and the opening of an embassy, the official SANA news agency said on Tuesday.

The decree provides for "the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese republic and the creation of a diplomatic mission at ambassador level in the Lebanese capital Beirut," it said.

Syria and Lebanon announced on August 13 their intention to open diplomatic ties for the first time since independence some 60 years ago -- following up on a pledge made by Assad and Lebanese President Michel Sleiman in Paris in July.

Assad said last month he expected full diplomatic relations with Beirut by the end of this year. On Monday, US President George W. Bush had warned Syria that it must respect Lebanon's sovereignty and urged Damascus to open full diplomatic ties with Beirut.

His comments came as Washington closely watched Syrian troop movements near the border with Lebanon, which have raised concerns among anti-Damascus figures in Lebanon. Syria, a longtime powerbroker in Lebanon, withdrew its troops from the country in 2005 after three decades of military and political domination.