TEHRAN - Thousands of Lebanese lined the streets of Beirut on Wednesday to welcome Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Lebanon.

The well-wishers waved Iranian flags and carried posters of the Iranian president and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Ahmadinejad waved to the crowd from the sunroof of his vehicle as his convoy slowly headed to the presidential palace outside Beirut under a shower of rice and amid screams of support, Iranian TV channels showed.
Ahmadinejad was warmly greeted at the airport by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and a delegation of Hezbollah officials.
This is Ahmadinejad’s first visit to Beirut since he took office in 2005.
Ahmadinejad calls for vigilance in face of enemy plots
After a rapturous welcome in Beirut, Ahmadinejad held a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.
In the talks, the Iranian president called for increased vigilance in the face of the enemies’ plots.
The enemies want to deal a blow to Lebanon in order to dominate the region, Ahmadinejad said, and he urged regional states to support the Lebanese resistance movement.
Suleiman said Lebanon is very interested in expanding cooperation with Iran.
The Lebanese president added that the ties between the two countries must set an example for other regional states.
The two countries also signed 17 memorandums of understanding on increasing bilateral cooperation in energy, agriculture, health, education, and other areas.
Iran stands in solidarity with Lebanon
At a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart, Ahmadinejad praised Lebanon’s resistance in the face of continued Israeli threats and said Iran stands in solidarity with the Lebanese people.
Suleiman said Lebanon supports Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.
Ahmadinejad also held separate talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Ahmadinejad visit to southern Lebanon will send a message to Israel
Commenting on Ahmadinejad’s visit to southern Lebanon, Iranian MP Parviz Sorouri told the Mehr News Agency that the visit is a “warning” to the Zionist regime.
The visit is a warning to the Israelis, who have committed crimes in southern Lebanon for years, and now the president of their archenemy, Iran, is scheduled to visit this area with honor, said Sorouri, who is a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Ahmadinejad visit to Beirut has foiled enemies’ plots
Iranian MP Kazem Jalali said that Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon has foiled the plots of the United States and the Zionist regime.
The U.S. president and the leaders of certain other Western countries make unannounced visits to regional states, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, but Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon was announced in advance and reported by media outlets, Jalali told reporters in Tehran on Wednesday