By Ren Ke, Mohamad Ali Harissi BEIRUT, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The visiting European Union Vice- President and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton on Tuesday expressed EU' s support to Lebanon's national unity government and said that Arab-Israeli conflict is at central part of other issues in the region. Ashton arrived in Beirut this afternoon following her stop in Damascus. She met with top Lebanese leaders including President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri respectively, and Lebanese foreign minister Ali Shami. Following her meeting with Hariri, Ashton said in a statement that EU gave full support to Lebanese national unity government and to what she considered to be an ambitious reform agenda of the government, adding that the EU remained committed to supporting the government to strengthen the democratic institutions in Lebanon. She said the EU was ready to assist with the design and implementation of the Lebanese integrated border management strategy. 'Peace in the Middle East is a top foreign policy priority for the European Union,' said Ashton in the statement, 'we attach great importance to the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is central too as part of the solution to other problems in the region, but also of course in the interest of the European Union.' Ashton also said the EU recognized that Lebanon have an important role as a non- permanent member of the UN Security Council, in particular in promoting the dialogue and reconciliation in the region. When meeting with Ashton, Suleiman asked Ashton to 'exert pressure on Israel' for the latter to put an end to its 'threats' against Lebanon, and called the EU countries to raise the level of their cooperation with Lebanon, especially in the investment field. Suleiman added that these 'threats increase tensions and negatively affect the Lebanese economy and the investment appeal, particularly after Lebanon scored a growth rate of almost 9 percent which surprised the Lebanese themselves.' Suleiman reiterated Lebanon's steadfast position towards the issue of settlement of the Palestinian refugees especially in countries the circumstances and constitution of which would not allow it. Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali Shami told the European Vice President that the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese lands in the south, the implementation of the U.N. Resolution 1701, and the cessation of Israeli daily violations of Lebanese airspace, are Lebanon's priorities. Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah. Lebanon accuses Israel violating its airspace on a daily basis, while Israel is concerned about Hezbollah's rearmament after the 2006 war. Ashton started a tour of the Middle East on Monday, her first visit to the region since taking the role of the EU's top diplomat last December when the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. Ashton's Middle East trip came as Israel last week has greenlighted a project to build 1,600 new housing units at a Jewish neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, one day after U.S. special envoy George Mitchell officially announced that Israel and the Palestinians had agreed to begin indirect talks under U.S. mediation. 'I'm very concerned about what is happening in Jerusalem,' said Ashton after meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, adding that she hope it will return to calm and that the Eu will be able to urge those to start being engaged in the talks, which will lead to the resolution and the agreement that is so badly needed in the region. Ashton said she will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in Moscow on Friday for the quartet meeting, which includes the U.N., Russia, the EU, and the United States. 'It is important to sit and discuss the ambitions that we have to help play our part in the stability in the region and to solve this conflict,' said Ashton. Before arriving to Beirut, Ashton met Syrian President Bashar al- Assad in Damascus, one day after meeting Egyptian officials in Cairo. She will also travel to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Ashton said in a statement before the trip that the visit is a sign of the importance the EU attaches to broad and deep relations with its Mediterranean partners and the Arab world, saying that she will send message to encourage all actors to engage in talks that lead to a comprehensive regional peace. 