Abbas lauds Lebanon for role in pushing Palestinian cause

Lebanon remains a beacon for the defense of the Palestinian cause, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday during his official visit to Lebanon.

The sacrifices made by Lebanon and its people would never be forgotten by the Palestinians, Abbas said on a joint press conference with the Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri following talks he held at the parliament, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Abbas pointed out that the talks focused on exchanging views about "many international issues," including the new U.S. administration, various elections in Europe, the Arab summit and many parliamentary meetings, as well as the issue of Palestinian unity, on which Lebanon recently hosted a meeting.

Berri hopes that the meeting held in Beirut last month on the Palestinian unity would be addressed thoroughly so it would result in a unity that is a great encouragement for the Arab and Muslim unity.

Abbas later met with Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri and discussed with him the situation in Lebanon and the region, the developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Lebanese-Palestinian relations.

Abbas held talks with President Michel Aoun on Thursday at the beginning of his three-day visit to Lebanon. Endit