Iran's Araqchi to visit Beirut after Lebanese foreign minister declines trip to Tehran
Dec 11 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said on Thursday he would travel to Beirut for talks after receiving a formal invitation from his Lebanese counterpart, who a day earlier had declined to visit Tehran for direct talks.
On Wednesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji said "current conditions" prevented him from travelling to Tehran, but stressed that the move did not mean rejection of dialogue with Iran.
Raji told Reuters late on Wednesday that he had invited Araqchi "in a formal diplomatic letter to come to Beirut to hold talks."
Araqchi said on X that he would "gladly accept the invitation to come to Beirut," although he said he found Raji's position "bemusing." He said foreign ministers of countries with "full diplomatic relations" did not need a neutral venue to meet.
"Subjected to Israeli occupation and blatant 'ceasefire' violations, I fully understand why my esteemed Lebanese counterpart is not prepared to visit Tehran," Araqchi added.
Raji said on Wednesday that Lebanon was ready to open a new phase of relations with Iran based on mutual respect, sovereignty and non-interference.
He added that no strong state could be built unless the government held the exclusive right to bear arms, in an apparent reference to calls to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned Lebanese armed group.
(Reporting by Enas Alashray; Additional reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by)
