Mohammad Javad Zarif heading a 30-strong delegation of entrepreneurs and tradesman, left Tehran for Beirut on Monday, to improve ties with the country.
In his presser with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on Monday, Zarif expressed gratitude to the government and people of Lebanon for their hospitality of the Iranian delegation, and hailed their free choice for victory for democracy.
Pointing to political commonalities and transactions between the two countries, Zarif hailed the support of Lebanon for the Islamic Republic in international communities, saying, "I will insist on Iran's determination to engage with all Lebanese groups and trends tomorrow at a meeting with former Future Movement head and Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday."
In response to a question on the arrest of Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese man living in Washington DC and who had deep links within US intelligence services and military, Zarif said what happened to him is not a problem between Iran and Lebanon but Iran and the US; "Iran's Judiciary deems espionage activities as illegal."
Gebran Bassil, for his part, said "we all stand together against the terrorists who had infiltrated the region." He thanked Iran for its assistance to the Lebanese Resistance against the Zionist regime.
He highly regarded Zari's visit to Lebanon in a time that Lebanon is experiencing health and healing after being recovered from a political problem.
"Michel Naim Aoun's election as a president was based on an internal decision and determination," Bassil said adding he hopes the decision would result in permanent political stability by holding parliamentary elections on time.
Lebanese FM underlined that they hold common political stance as Iran, towards the resolution of regional crises through political and peaceful solutions, stressing violence does not seem to get any results.
Lebanon is facing two major risks, first is Israeli apartheid regime and the second is ISIL terrorist group, he said adding what connects Lebanon to Iran is their political relations in international forums where both sides politically support each other.
Pointing to FM Zarif's visit to Beirut at the head of an economic delegation, Bassil noted, "we hope the visit would further expand economic ties between Iran and Lebanon and the Lebanese could take advantage of post-sanctions era."
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