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Aoun's election as Lebanon's president not in Israel's interest: Iranian official

Xinhua, November 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

The recent election of Michel Aoun as Lebanon's president will not serve the interests of Israel in the region, a senior former Iranian Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by semi-official Mehr news agency on Friday.

"We believe Aoun's election to the presidency will bolster resistance front against Zionists and will contribute further to stability and peace in the region," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the former deputy foreign minister for Arab and African countries, said.

"The White House and Tel Aviv have shared policies in the Middle East which sought to weaken the regional countries," Abdollahian said in a meeting with Lebanese ambassador to Tehran, Fadi Haj Ali, on Thursday.

Abdollahian, current advisor to Iran's Majlis (parliament) speaker, stressed the promotion of inter-parliamentary relations between Tehran and Beirut, expressing the hope that Iran-Lebanon Parliamentary Friendship Group would work to this end, including enhancement of trade and economic relations.

For his part, Fadi Haj Ali expressed his gratitude to Iran for the support to Lebanon.

"We appreciate Tehran's role and contribution to stability of the region and welcome improvements in economic ties," he said.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi welcomed the election of Aoun as Lebanon's president, saying that the election of president after two and a half years' vacancy is "a significant step to institutionalize democracy and maintain stability" in Lebanon.

Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah chief and Iran's ally Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has endorsed Aoun as Lebanon's president Sunday. Endit