Naharnet

Larijani Describes Hizbullah as Effective Movement

Iran's visiting Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Monday that Hizbullah is an active movement and plays a positive role in the region.

“Some movements are more effective than states. Hizbullah is an example. It plays a positive role in the region,” he said.

“Lebanon is the country which has confronted the Zionist enemy and taught it an important lesson,” Larijani said during a lecture at the Lebanese University's Faculty of Law.

“The resistance of the Lebanese people against the enemy is an honor for the Islamic World,” he added.

The Iranian official later held a press conference at the Phoenicia Hotel, during which he noted that “Lebanon's Christians must play the main role in the issue of the presidential elections.”

“Iran wants to see a quick solution for this crisis,” Larijani added.

“Some consultations have taken place in this regard and we were contacted regarding the French endeavor to resolve the presidential crisis,” he revealed.

Ruling out any incursion into Lebanon by the extremist Islamic State group, Larijani pointed out that “the main responsibility in the issue of the abducted Lebanese servicemen must fall on the shoulders of the states that supported the terrorist groups.”

The official, however, expressed his country's willingness to offer help in this regard.

Larijani arrived in Beirut on Monday. He was accompanied by the Iranian foreign minister's deputy for Arab and African affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

He first met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail and then went into talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

He is scheduled to meet with other top Lebanese officials.

Larijani met in Damascus on Sunday with Syria's President Bashar Assad, who told him that his regime is working on "reconciliations" to end the brutal civil war, state news agency SANA said.

However, Assad also said that Syria will continue to fight "terror" -- a term the regime has used for its opponents, both armed and peaceful, since the outbreak of a 2011 revolt.

"Assad emphasized the Syrian people's determination to eradicate terrorism," said SANA, adding that he would also continue to press for "national reconciliations... all over Syrian territory,” SANA added.

Source: Agence France Presse, Naharnet


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