Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Friday that “the election of a president is a Lebanese internal matter,” calling on international actors to foster dialogue among Lebanese parties to end the presidential vacancy.
Speaking to journalists following his meetings with Speaker Nabih Berri and his counterpart, caretaker Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Abdollahian claimed that Tehran is committed “not to interfere in Lebanon’s domestic affairs.”
Nonetheless, he called on Lebanese MPs to “speed up the process of electing a president and forming a government” and vowed that Iran will maintain its support to the “Lebanese Army, people and resistance,” the triptych of Hezbollah, Tehran’s staunch ally, whose Moumanaa axis is primarily responsible for the ten-month presidential vacancy.
Abdollahian also reiterated “Iran’s willingness to strengthen economic cooperation with Lebanon and the readiness of Iranian companies to help solve the electricity problem.”
“The Islamic Republic is ready to establish power plants with a capacity of 2000 kilowatts, once a decision in that sense is made by the Lebanese government,” he said.
“We are closely following developments in Lebanon, and we will maintain our support to the resistance (Hezbollah’s military wing) for the sake of protecting Lebanese national interest and that of the peoples of the region in their struggle against Israel’s ambitions,” the head of the Iranian diplomacy added before concluding his two-day visit.
Abdollahian conferred with Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah upon his arrival in Beirut on Thursday, after a stopover in Damascus.
According to a statement, they discussed the latest political developments in Lebanon and the region.
