Lebanese- Iranian defense cooperation agreements

Iranian Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Ali Shamkhani held talks on Sunday with his Lebanese counterpart, Ghazi Zeiter, dealing with bilateral relations and defense cooperation between the two countries. The two sides signed several agreements to cooperate between the two countries.

Lt. Gen. Shamkhani praised the Lebanese resistance and their confrontation of the Israeli occupation. He stressed Iran's backing for Lebanon in order to liberate occupied south Lebanon. The Lebanese defense minister thanked Iran, stressing his country's keenness to expanding relations with Iran on all levels.

A high-ranking parliamentary delegation is escorting the defense minister who is considered the first Lebanese defense minister to visits Tehran in 20 years. He arrived in Tehran on board an airplane affiliated to the Lebanese Middle East Airline company to open the direct air route between Lebanon and Beirut, which remained closed for 30 years.

It was agreed to open the line between the two countries during the visit of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to Teheran in November, 1997.