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.
