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Iran welcomes election of Lebanese President as "victory for all Lebanese"

Xinhua, November 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday welcomed the election of a new Lebanese President without "foreign intervention," considering the successful election as "a victory for all Lebanese."

The National News Agency (NNA) said that Zarif, who arrived Monday afternoon for an official visit, conveyed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's congratulations to Lebanon's President Michel Aoun.

According to the NNA, Zarif held talks in Baabda with Aoun in the presence of Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil during the official visit to Lebanon which will also include meetings with other top Lebanese officials.

"I seized this opportunity to extend the warmest congratulations to President Aoun on his assumption of the presidency, in my name and in the name of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and all Iranians," Zarif said after meeting with Aoun.

"We welcomed the fact that the presidential election in Lebanon was held without any foreign interference. Lebanon's success in holding the presidential vote after two and a half years of vacuum is a victory for all Lebanese," he added.

Zarif said his visit is aimed at "developing and boosting bilateral ties at the political and economic levels."

He stressed that "Iran and Lebanon have two main enemies, the takfiri enemy and Israel, and this issue is an element for unity between Iran and Lebanon."

"President Aoun's oath of office reflected his deep political vision that identified the risks that are threatening all countries in the region," Iran's top diplomat went on to say.

Zarif is accompanied by an Iranian delegation comprising of around 45 economic and political figures, according to the NNA.

"We will stand today and tomorrow by Lebanon and we will seek to expand cooperation between the two countries," he added.

Last week, Aoun was elected as Lebanon's 13th president thus ending around two and a half years of a presidential vacuum which began with the end of the 6-year tenure of former President Michel Suleiman in May 2014.

Hariri was selected on Thursday to form a new cabinet. Endit