Lebanon asks for broader business, economic ties with Iran in agricultural filed

According to IRNA from Beirut, the Lebanese Agriculture Minister Hussain Haj Hassan put forth his proposal in a meeting with visiting IRI Deputy Agriculture Jihad Minister in Research and Planning Affairs Mohammad-Ali Nikbakht.

In the meeting in the presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut Ghazanfar Roknabadi the potentials of the two countries for bilateral cooperation in training and educational, commercial exchange of agricultural products, and plant quarantine system imports from Iran were surveyed.

Minister Haj Hassan referring to his visit of Tehran a few weeks ago and his meeting with the IRI Agricultural Jihad Minister Sadeq Khalilian Managing Director of ETKA Institute Hassan Kazemi, asked for expediting the implementation of the formerly reached agreements, particularly in exchange of agricultural products, including olive oil and citrus fruits to Iran and importing wheat, rice and other food products needed in Lebanon from Iran.

The Lebanese agriculture minister expressed satisfaction over the progress achieved in training the agricultural, technical, and expert personnel for Lebanon by Iranian agriculture professors, asking for greater exchange of experience in the field.

Engineer Nikbakht, too, in the meeting expressed our country’s readiness for broadening the level of cooperation in various agricultural fields, printing out that he would see into lifting the existing obstacles in the way of exporting Lebanese olive oil to Iran.

The IRI Ambassador Roknabadi, too, referring to the successful sponsoring of the Iran Specialists Exhibition in Beirut from June 13th to 17th, said, the Central Province Specialists Exhibition, too, is scheduled to be held in Beirut in December this year.

He proposed that the agricultural workshops demanded by the Lebanese side would be held on the sidelines of that exhibition, which was agreed by the Lebanese agriculture minister.

Since the Islamic Revolution, the two countries have deepened relations amidst controversy in Lebanon and abroad.

In Lebanon, support for ties with Iran are largely polarized over political lines with the March 14 alliance opposing stronger ties, and the March 8 alliance advocating stronger ties as a counterweight to Israel.

After all parties of the Lebanese government reached a consensus as part of the Doha Agreement, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki traveled to Lebanon and welcomed the agreement as a 'great achievement' for the Lebanese people.

Iran has been alleged to have founded and funded the Lebanese Hezbollah, a relationship that some say continues to this day in an apparent nexus with Syria. During the 2006 Lebanon War, between the racist Zionist regime and Hezbollah, Iran came out in firm support of Hezbollah in particular, and Lebanon in general.

Following by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman's visit to Tehran in 2008 and the signing of a military and economic agreement between the two countries, formal military ties were created.

Following the 2010 Adaisseh incident and consequent American threats to cut off funding for the Lebanese Army should it not be verified that Hezbollah would be kept from getting access to it, Lebanon's Defense Minister Elias Murr set up a fund to ask for donations to the armed forced. A few weeks later Suleiman asked Iran to consider selling advanced military equipment to the Lebanese Army, while stating modernization should take place while keeping in mind Beirut's strategic needs as well as its budget limitations. This was just days before Iran announced its defense industry has the capacity to supply arms to more than 50 countries.

The next day, Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi expressed readiness to offer military aid to Lebanon. 'Lebanon is a friend and its army is our friend. We are prepared to help them.' Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, affirmed Iran's willingness to aid Lebanon as requested by President Suleiman and Defense Minister Elias Murr. Upon being asked if Iran was willing to sell advanced rocket systems, Roknabadi said the Iranian Defense Minister was clear on this matter. 'Everything is open before Lebanon in supplying it with arms and supporting its other fields.' He also affirmed Iran would help in solving Lebanon's electricity problems at international rates in six months. Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said that the Lebanese executive (as led by Saad Hariri), was afraid of the US' wrath and thus would not pursue the Iranian offer of arms supplies.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, vowed that Iran would support Lebanon in its battle with Israel.

Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi suggested trade relations between the two countries could reach 10 billion US dollars in five years time.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad planned his first visit to Lebanon as president in October 2010, after his trip was previously delayed. His two-day visit included a tour of villages along Lebanon's tense border with Israel. He was scheduled to meet the Lebanese president, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, said the visit was 'aimed at fostering unity among the Lebanese and calling all Lebanese to stand beside each other for resistance and that is why Israel is furious and has threatened Lebanon... President Ahmadinejad is visiting Lebanon at the invitation of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and the visit has political and economic dimensions.' He added that 'The enthusiasm of Lebanese people indicates the country's willingness to host President Ahmadinejad;' and said the visit poses no 'security risk.'

Courtesy: Wikipedia, for the background on Iran-Lebanon broad bilateral relations

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