Lebanese- Tunisian agreement to establish a higher joint committee

Lebanese President Emil lahoud on Thursday concluded a visit to Tunisia that lasted for two days during which an agreement was signed to establish a joint higher committee and a cooperation agreement in the area of land transport between the two countries.

The agreement which provides for the establishment of the higher committee was signed for the Tunisian side by the minister of state for foreign affairs al-Habib Bin Yahya and the Lebanese side by the deputy prime minister Issam Fares. It aims at boosting relations between the two states in various areas.

This committee will work for encouraging trade exchange and revitalization of financial and banking cooperation as well as improving the movement of establishing joint projects.

On the other hand, the Lebanese parties and forces in Mount Lebanon denounced the continued Israeli attempts to pressure Lebanon and its resistance by obtaining a video tape on the Lebanese national resistance for the three Israeli soldiers.

In a statement these parties and forces called on the UN not to be trapped by Israel.

Meantime, UNIFIL forces working in Lebanon categorically denied the claims stated by the Israeli daily Maareve on Thursday about a bribe by the Lebanese elements in the Indian contingent of the international forces in order to be able to siege the three Israeli soldiers in occupied Shebaa farms.

The official spokesman for UNIFIL Timor Goksil said in a statement that any remarks without evidence is groundless, noting that what was stated by the Israeli media to this effect is totally rejected.