Suleiman Starts Two-Day Official Visit to Iran

 
Source: Al-Manar TV, 24-11-2008
In the framework of his worldwide tour aimed at raising Lebanon's voice and consolidating ties with regional powers, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman arrived Monday morning in Tehran where he's set to pay a two-day "historic" official visit that would witness a summit meeting between Suleiman and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Suleiman, who is accompanied by his wife, Wafaa Suleiman, and six ministers, was welcomed at the airport by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Housing Minister Mohammad Saeedi Kia, state broadcasters' websites said. Many Arab ambassadors to Tehran also appeared at the airport to welcome Suleiman, the third Lebanese President to visit Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The Lebanese delegation includes Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammad Safadi, Labor Minister Mohammad Fneish, Minister of Industry Ghazi Zeaiter and Minister of the Displaced Raymond Audi.
A Lebanese official earlier declared that "the president will discuss everything during his Iran's trip: political and economic issues, bilateral relations, the situation in the Middle East, the peace process." Talks will also include efforts to forge a "national defense strategy" for Lebanon, the official said.
Press reports on Sunday said that Iran plans to propose providing Lebanon with heavy weapons during Suleiman's visit to Tehran. Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat said Tehran would propose to Suleiman providing the Lebanese army with military assistance, including heavy weapons like missiles. It quoted sources as saying that Iran also considers carrying out investments and building enterprises in various fields.
For its part, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted well-informed sources as saying that Suleiman's visit comes in the framework of an Iranian wish to build "state to state relations with Lebanon starting with the country's head." The sources noted that the talks would re-launch the work of the joint Lebanese-Iranian committee that was frozen two years ago, stressing that this committee would be concerned with establishing economic, military and cultural agreements between Beirut and Tehran.
The sources stressed that Tehran was more than ready to study any Lebanese request, whenever submitted by the Lebanese government, to provide the army with military equipment or support of any kind.
The sources said that Iran has, previously, presented a specific proposal to the Lebanese government. "But the political differences that were somehow reflected in the military institution resulted in its refusal," the sources noted, adding that, however, "circumstances were a lot different nowadays."