Lebanese Christian leader Michel Aoun, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement once known to be opponent to Syria during a visit to the old City in Damascus on 04 December 2008. Aoun is on a five-day visit to Syria the fist in twenty years and marked by warm welcome as he received a red carpet welcome by Syrian president Bashar Assad. Aoun said that a new page in the history of Syrian Lebanese relations was opened by the visit. he has a major Christian bloc in the Lebanese parliament. EPA/YOUSSEF BADAWI