Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry Shaking hands with Lebanese president Michel Aoun in Baabda palace in Beirut on Wendesday(Photo: Egyptian Foreign Ministry's official Facebook Page)
Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met on Wednesday in Beirut with the newly elected Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
Shoukri extended an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Aoun to visit Egypt, the foreign ministry announced in a statement.
The Egyptian FM conveyed a message of solidarity from Egypt's president, saying that "Lebanon has an important position in the Arab world and plays a vital role in maintaining joint Arab interests."
After the meeting, Shoukri told reporters that "Egypt is seeking to open communication with Lebanon's official institutions for a deep dialogue and to build a strong relationship to achieve their common goals."
Shoukry is scheduled to meet with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri and newly appointed Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri later on Wednesday as part of his two-day visit.
The FM arrived in Beirut on Tuesday evening to reaffirm Egypt's support to the 1 November election of President Aoun, which put an end to an over two-year political vacuum.
El-Sisi had congratulated his new Lebanese counterpart in a phone call following the election.
During the call, the new Lebanese president said that he looked forward to enhancing bilateral cooperation in all fields, adding that Egypt represents a major pillar of the security and stability in the Arab world.
For two years prior to Aoun's election, Lebanon's political forces failed to reach a consensus on choosing a new president after the end of Michael Suleiman's term in May 2014.
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