Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hoped on Thursday that a statement issued by the Syrian National Council would put Lebanese-Syrian relations on the right path and called for U.N. Security Council action if Lebanon comes under attack by Syria.

The Council, which is Syria’s leading opposition movement, said Wednesday that it wants to start a new chapter in the complex and often-troubled relationship with Lebanon.

Syrian security forces killed 49 civilians, including 10 children, in clashes across the country on Thursday, a rights group said.

"The toll for the day has risen to 49 civilians killed by the security forces in several regions of Syria, mostly in Homs," in the centre of the country, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Syrian regime and opposition on Wednesday traded blame for the killing of a Christian cleric and a regional Syrian Red Crescent chief.

An "armed terrorist group" killed a priest in the protest hub of Hama in central Syria on Wednesday, state media said, as regime forces reportedly pounded the city for a second day.

The Syrian National Council stressed on Wednesday that it seeks to establish strong ties between Syria and Lebanon that respect the sovereignty and independence of each country.

It said in an open letter to the Lebanese people: “To this end, the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council should be dissolved and agreements between the two countries should be revised.”

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday the government’s policy of “distancing itself” from the Syrian developments.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “It should instead work on fortifying Lebanon against the repercussions of the crisis.”

Syrian security forces raked the central protest city of Hama with heavy machinegun fire and explosives on Wednesday for the second straight day, as troops killed 18 civilians and six army deserters across the country, activists said.

"The Syrian army is bombarding Hama with heavy weapons, using rocket-propelled grenades," said a statement from the Local Coordination Committees, which organizes anti-regime protests on the ground.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali noted on Wednesday that the agreements between Lebanon and Syria obligate the two countries to respect them.

He said after holding talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour: “The greater responsibility however lies on Lebanon in implementing these agreements because arms are being smuggled to Syria and sometimes they are being smuggled through Lebanon.”

Russia said Wednesday it was "open to constructive proposals" on Syria but remained opposed to any U.N. resolution that tried to force all nations to respect sanctions previously imposed by the West.

"We are open to constructive proposals that go in line with the set task of ending violence," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

President Barack Obama hailed the demise of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and warned Syria's Bashar Assad his regime's days were numbered Tuesday as he vowed enduring U.S. support for the ideals of the Arab Spring.

"As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the Middle East and North Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sanaa to Tripoli," Obama said in his annual State of the Union address in Congress.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed that his cabinet’s term, is linked to its capability to preserve stability, according to newspapers published on Wednesday.

“When (the cabinet) becomes incapable of maintaining stability then we can discuss this issue,” Miqati told An Nahar.