DAMASCUS (Reuters) -U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was committed to implementing a U.N. resolution on Lebanon that includes an embargo on illegal arms shipments.

“The president informed me that Syria supports Security Council Resolution 1701 and will help in its implementation. We also discussed the issue of the arms embargo,” Annan told reporters after talks with Assad in Damascus.

“While stating Syrian objections to the presence of foreign forces along the Syrian-Lebanese border, the president committed to me that Syria will take all necessary measures to implement in full paragraph 15 of the resolution,” Annan added.

“That is the paragraph that deals with the arms embargo.”

Annan said Syria would beef up border security and was ready to run joint patrols with the Lebanese army.