Lebanese president meets Austrian minister

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Thursday received the Austrian minister of state for foreign affairs, currently visiting Lebanon.

Talks dealt with bilateral relations between Lebanon and Austria and the situation in the region. Following the meeting, the Austrian minister, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said that her visit to Lebanon "aims at fostering relations between the two countries and the possibility of maintaining cooperation in various economic and trade fields."

A similar meeting was also held later in the day between Lebanese Premier Salim al-Hoss and the Austrian minister during which talks centered on means of reopening the Austrian embassy in Beirut, which has been closed because of the war that took place in Lebanon.