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Beirut, Dec 10, IRNA -- Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said here Monday that the strength of the government and people of Lebanon have roots in support by Iran.
Meeting the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, he also said that Lebanon is looking forward to the scheduled visit by President Mohammad Khatami.
He referred to the Middle East developments, adding "Israel, using the Iraqi crisis, intends to mount aggression against the Lebanese resistance."
He also said now that the UN inspectors have the chance to review the documents presented by Iraq, "the UN should also make decision regarding Iraq."
He expressed opposition to any attack on Iraq and said that "Palestinian situation is the priority of the Moslem World."
Kharrazi, for his part, said the regional countries should cooperate to thwart threats by some to drive a wedge between the Moslem and Arab countries.
Following his meeting with the Lebanese president, Speaking to IRNA, Kharrazi said that Iran regard any assertions on cooperation between al-Qaeda with Hezbollah and Palestinian resistance groups as baseless.
"Perpetrators of such statements should provide evidence on the issue," the Iranian foreign minister said.
Kharrazi also met with Lebanese prime Minister Rafiq Hariri Monday afternoon.
The Lebanese premier called Iran-Lebanon relations as positive and called for boosting bilateral consultations on various issues.
Hariri said the US aims in the regions is above and beyond the Iraqi issue, adding "the US plans are to change the governments in the area while fostering the Israel's security."
He also said that the Iran and Lebanon should strengthen their economic and trade ties.
Kharrazi said Iranian companies are ready to enter into joint projects with their Lebanese counterpart.
On the regional developments, he added that the US is not only targeting Iraq, "but, even the US allies have bore the brunt of its threats, because the US is striving to bolster Israel in the region."
Kharrazi is on a two-day Middle East visit which took him to Syria on Sunday. In Damascus, the Iranian minister met President Bashar al-Assad as well as Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara to discuss the situation in Palestine and the Iraqi crisis as well as ties between the Islamic Republic and Syria.
Kharrazi last visited Beirut and Damascus in April and held discussions on the Middle East situation with officials of the two countries.
The visit comes amid escalation of the Zionist Israeli incursions into the occupied Palestinian territories and systematic killings of the innocent people as well as US threats to attack Iraq if it fails to expose its arms programs.
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