BEIRUT, Lebanon -- President Mohammad Khatami said on Monday that it is to the benefit of Iraq, U.S., and Britain and the region as a whole that the occupying forces leave Iraq.

In a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, President Khatami also called for a central role by the United Nations in the postwar Iraq.

Elaborating on Iran's opposition to unilateralism and militarism in the world, he said the Iraqi people should decide about their fate.

The Iranian president also touched on the need for preserving Iraq's territorial integrity and unity among its different ethnic groups. Pointing to the situation in the region especially in Lebanon and Palestine in the current sensitive juncture, Khatami said, "We all want durable peace in Palestine, but we believe there will be no peace without restoration of the Palestinians' rights."

At the meeting, Hariri referred to the hidden agenda behind the U.S. presence in the region and said that the U.S. administration plans to impose its views in the region.

Hariri said Beirut and Tehran share common views about Iraq. He said Lebanon calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq and the establishment of a government in that country.

Lebanese premier also voiced his government's support for defending the rights of Palestinian people. Prime Minister Hariri also said, "President Khatami is the man of dialogue and culture. He is the symbol of rational Islam and moderation."

Referring to the importance of Khatami's visit to Lebanon, he said, "Since 10 years before I was elected as the country's premier, the two countries' relations have been on the rise," the report added.

He further said Lebanon favors the implementation of UN resolutions for solving the Palestinian cause but the Zionist regime has snubbed all these resolutions.