Iranian president, FM confer with Lebanese parliament speaker
Iran-Lebanon, Politics, 6/17/1999

Iranian President Muhammad Khatami on Wednesday in Tehran discussed with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri relations between the two countries and issues of mutual concern.

Discussions dealt with the constituent conference of the Islamic Parliaments Union currently held in Tehran. The Iranian president praised the Lebanese resistance and their heroism against the Israeli occupation. He stressed Iran's support for the Lebanese people in order to restore their occupied territories in south Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi met with Berri. The two sides discussed means of strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the economic field.

Kharazi asserted his country's backing to the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Berri described the level of relations between the two countries as good. He stressed his country "readiness to strengthen trade and economic cooperation with Iran."

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the IPU, Taha al-Hashemi, said that all participants in the conference were of a unanimous stand on the importance of convening it and setting up a parliamentary union for the Islamic countries.

In a press conference he held on Wednesday, al-Hashemi added that the conference's formulation committee discussed in its Wednesday meeting the name of the union, its provisions and the headquarters of its general secretariat and results of discussions on this respect are to be submitted to the conference for ratification.

Al-Hashemi stated that the duration of the secretary general's presidency will be four years and that the conference will be held every two years.

Al-Hashemi continued that the foundation of the Islamic Parliaments Union is a step towards further cooperation and coordination between the Islamic countries in all areas.

Replying to a question on the role of the Iranian Shoura council and the Egyptian parliament in normalizing relations between the two countries, al-Hashemi said he had met with the speaker of the Egyptian parliament, Ahmad Fathi Sorour, and handed him over a message from the chairman of the Iranian Shoura council, Sheikh Nateq Nouri.

Al-Hashemi continued that the two sides are eager to normalize relations and eliminate certain partial disputes.

Later in the day, the conference's formulation committee of the Arab parliaments approved Tehran to serve as a permanent headquarters for the IPU's general secretariat.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanese defense minister meets with Iranian diplomat   (6/16/1999)
  Tehran hosts IPU constituent conference   (6/16/1999)
  Speaker of Moroccan house of representatives meets Iranian peer   (6/15/1999)
  Syrian-Iranian parliamentary talks in Tehran   (6/15/1999)

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