Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has hailed as an "important step" the creation of a Syrian opposition front, urging President Bashar Assad to talk to them after months of deadly protests.

"The (formation of the) Syrian National Council marks an important step" said the ruler of the energy-rich Gulf state in remarks aired on Wednesday by the Doha-based Al-Jazeera news channel.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stated on Wednesday that an agreement must be reached over Hizbullah’s possession of arms, reiterating past statements that it is not normal for one Lebanese political group to possess weapons and be part of cabinet and parliament.

He said: “Some sides interpreted these remarks as a sign that I support the party’s positions, but all I wanted to say is that the international community is also responsible for this issue as Hizbullah’s arms are not only a Lebanese matter, but an international one.”

Thousands of people rallied in central Damascus on Wednesday in a show of support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad which has been shaken by mass protests for nearly seven months.

An Agence France Presse journalist witnessing the demonstration said it had begun with a call on the Facebook page "My homeland, Syria" of Assad supporters urging them to rally to "reinforce unity and solidarity with the families of martyrs and thank Russia and China for their stand against the conspiracy" targeting Syria.

The Syrian army seized arms and ammunition hidden in two vehicles for the purpose of smuggling them from Lebanon into Syria, As Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday.

A Lebanese security source told the daily “Syrian forces seized arms, explosives and night vision goggles from two cars on their way to Homs and Tartous.”

Kuwait's foreign minister told reporters Tuesday the Arab world's foreign ministers are to meet to discuss developments in Syria.

"There will be a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to study the events in Syria," Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah told a news conference in Kuwait's capital, without specifying the date for the gathering.

China urged Syria Tuesday to move faster to implement reforms, a week after Beijing infuriated the West by blocking a U.N. resolution against President Bashar Assad's deadly crackdown on protests.

It is the first time that China has veered away from its longstanding policy of non-interference in the affairs of Syria, which has been rocked by anti-government protests and violence since earlier this year.

Former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Monday said that if he made a trip to Syria, it could have interpreted that he is following its policies, whereas he only adheres to the Lebanese path.

In an interview to Future News, Sfeir expressed his belief that the Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's positions match those of the Vatican.

Libya's ruling National Transitional Council said on Monday that it recognizes the Syrian National Council grouping of opponents of President Bashar al-Assad as the country's government.

"The National Transitional Council has decided after a meeting today to recognize the Syrian National Council as the sole legitimate government in Syria," NTC member Mussa al-Koni told a news conference in Tripoli.

Syrian opposition leaders meeting in Sweden called for international observers in their country but largely opposed foreign military intervention, organizers said Monday.

The opposition group leaders who met at the weekend agreed on "the international community's role, demanding to have observers on site, and that minority groups should be given legally binding protection" once a new regime is in place, Jens Orback, the secretary general of the Olof Palme Centre, told reporters.

Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, the country's highest religious authority, has warned Europe, the United States and Israel of suicide bombings if they attack his country.

"From the first round fired, the sons of Syria and Lebanon will become fighters who will carry out suicide attacks on the land of Europe and Palestine," the mufti said in a speech viewed on the Internet video-sharing website YouTube.