BEIRUT Lebanon welcomes Iran's participation in reconstruction of the country's economy and calls for strengthening of Tehran-Beirut economic ties, the Lebanese Minister of Trade and Economy Basil Flayhan said here Thursday.

Talking at the first day of the two countries' joint economic commission, chaired by him and Iran's Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Abdolalizadeh, Flayhan described Iran's plans for development of the two countries' economic relations as "constructive".

"Lebanon is a suitable gateway for Iran's entry to Arab and African markets," he said.

Abdolalizadeh, for his part, stressed Iran's decision to find a suitable standing in Lebanon's economy and its reconstruction plans, calling for making economic relations par to political ties of the two Muslim countries.

He said that the two countries' establishment of joint economic commissions for execution of fundamental and investment plans in Lebanon with the participation of Iran's public and private sectors indicated their keen interest in upgrading cooperation.

Abdolalizadeh arrived in Beirut on Wednesday to participate in the Iran-Lebanon Joint Economic Commission meeting.

Upon arrival, he said he will be discussing cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, customs, transportation, agriculture, oil, telecommunications and tourism with Lebanese officials.

The joint economic commission meets once every six months alternately in Beirut and Tehran.

A delegation of 20 Iranian ministerial officials arrived in Beirut earlier on Sunday to make the necessary arrangements for the meeting.

They started talks with Lebanese counterparts on Monday on a variety of topics such as trade, telecommunications, housing, transportation, oil, social affairs, agriculture and tourism. The talks will carry on until February 24.

The current meeting, the fifth so far, will be held from Feb. 21 to Feb. 24 under the chairmanship of the Iranian housing minister and the Lebanese minister of trade and economy.

Several agreements and memoranda of understanding in the fields of finance, trade and tourism are expected to be signed during the meeting.

The last such meeting was held in Tehran in February, 1999.

Also, meeting with Secretary General of Lebanese Hezbollah Seyed Hassan Nassrollah, Abdolalizadeh expressed Iran's readiness to transfer its experiences to the Lebanese people for the reconstruction of those areas in the South of Lebanon which were damaged during the invasion by the Zionist regime.

For his part, Nassrollah called for further cooperation between the two countries in various fields including economic sector.