On his six-day regional tour (12 – 17 May 2003), President Seyed Mohammad Khatami met with leaders and top officials of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain and discussed the latest developments in the region and ways and means to broaden bilateral ties.

The agreements were signed in the presence of President Khatami, his Lebanese counterpart Emile Lahoud, as well as, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The signing of the accords followed extensive talks held among ministers of foreign affairs, housing, trade and finance, who discussed ways of expanding economic, political and cultural ties of the two countries. Two of the agreements were related to Iran’s payment of a $50 million soft loan which is intended to finance several construction and customs cooperation projects.

The Lebanon visit was performed under very critical circumstances. Lebanon has a special standing among Middle Eastern countries as it is a country where disciples of various religions co-exist and the country has an exemplary democratic system. Upon his return to Tehran, the President stated that he had fruitful talks with the Lebanese leaders on regional and international issues as well as issues of the mutual interest.

Iran and Bahrain signed seven agreements for cooperation on security, fighting drug trafficking, standards, establishment of trade fairs, fisheries, news dissemination and tourism.

Given that Khatami was the first Iranian president to visit Lebanon since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was warmly hailed by Lebanese state officials and was greeted with the jubilant welcome of tens of thousands of well-wishers. In a special ceremony, the chancellor of University of Lebanon awarded President Khatami a degree of honor in political sciences and on the last day of his visit to Beirut, a 240-bed hospital was opened in Toul village in southern Lebanon. The farewell ceremony was attended by a number of high-ranking Lebanese state officials and Iranian political/religious personalities, MPs, Hezbollah authorities, heads of foreign embassies, the Iranian ambassador to Beirut and the heads of Iranian organizations in Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi hailed relations between the two countries and described their cooperation as "very sensitive and important". His counterpart thanked the Islamic Republic for supporting the Lebanese people and hoped that relations between the two countries would boost further, especially in the economic field. Besides Kharrazi, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Abdolalizadeh, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Tahmaseb Mazaheri and several other Iranian officials accompanied President Khatami on the visit.

Six agreements and Memoranda of Understanding were signed on mutual cooperation on economic, environmental, youth-related and women’s affairs, as well as, customs and an Iranian loan of $50 million to finance Lebanese infrastructure projects

Upon arriving in Syria for his two-day official visit, Khatami held the first round of talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad at the al-Shaab Presidential palace. The two presidents discussed the latest developments in the region and in the world including the Palestinian issue, future of Iraq as well as ways of boosting bilateral relations in various fields. The foreign ministers of both countries and presidential advisors of Syria attended the talks. Khatami expressed pleasure with his Syria visit and stressed the need for continued contacts between Tehran and Damascus on major international and regional events. He said it was of critical importance for both Iran and Syria to continue cooperation under the current sensitive circumstances, adding that "we must be more vigilant vis-à-vis the current threats".

During the visit a free trade MoU was signed in the presence of the Iranian and Syrian presidents, by Iran’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ali Abdolalizadeh, and Syria’s Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Qassan al-Rifaie, the heads of the joint economic commission of the two countries. According to the articles of the newly signed MoU, a joint committee, headed by the deputy Iranian housing and urban development minister and deputy Syrian economy and foreign trade minister, should be established to survey the path towards gradual implementation of lifting the customs procedure in the two countries’ trade transactions, in an attempt to achieve full free trade status between the two sides. The said committee that will be convened alternatively in Tehran and Damascus will meanwhile be assign the task of the establishment of a free trade zone (FTZ) in the short run.

Commenting on his Syrian visit, Khatami said watershed talks were held between the two sides and that the talks were focused mainly on the latest developments in the region and the common stands adopted by Iran and Syria on major regional and global issues including the plight of Palestinians and Iraqis.

President Khatami cabled a message to Jordan’s King Abdullah II from his plane as he left Syria en route to Yemen to stress bolstering relations between Tehran and Amman. According to a statement issued by the Jordanian King’s office, the Iranian president hoped that the two countries would "witness expansion of brotherly ties and bilateral cooperation". Khatami also extended his sincere regards to the King and hoped for the success and progress of the Jordanian people.

Iran and Yemen signed 7 documents to cooperate on security, trade, development, culture and shipping

Ways of expanding bilateral ties in various fields between Tehran and Sana'a were discussed during a meeting of Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and his Yemeni counterpart al-Qirbi. The two ministers described the visit as a "turning point" in boosting relations among those countries and in line with their interests as well as those of the whole region. "After the end of the war against Iraq, all the Islamic countries in the region are faced with serious challenges and that merits special importance is to guarantee peace under the cooperation of regional countries" al-Qirbi said. Kharrazi said the roots of terrorism must be stemmed properly and fundamentally through regional and international cooperation.

To confront existing threats and challenges, a new security set-up must be established under the collective cooperation of all the regional countries in order to realize stability and prepare the ground for their development and growth, the Iranian minister said. He hoped that the upcoming meeting of the Islamic foreign ministers in Tehran late this month will provide a "suitable opportunity" to exchange views on these matters. Foreign ministers of 50 Islamic countries will gather in Tehran from 28 to 30 May 2003 to discuss the latest developments in the Islamic world, including the fallout from the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

A security agreement was inked by Iran’s Interior Minister Abdolvahed Moussavi Lari and his Yemeni opposite number Rashad al-Alimi, in which the two sides have stressed the need for fighting narcotic drugs and organized crimes. Foreign Minister Kharrazi and Yemeni counterpart al-Qirbi signed the MoU for development assistance to pave the way for strengthening the two countries’ progress. Minister of Agriculture Jihad, Mahmoud Hajjati, signed the MoU for economic and financial cooperation on Iran’s side. Yemen’s Finance Minister Alawi S. al-Salami put his seal on the accord which also includes banking cooperation. The trade agreement was signed also by Hojjati and Yemeni Minister of Trade and Industry, Abdulrahman M. Othman, in which the two sides have underlined the need for paving the ground for exchange of goods and holding trade fairs. Hojjati further signed the agreement for cultural cooperation, which includes exchange of university students and professors and holding cultural functions. Minister of Public Works and Urban Development, Abdullah H. al-Dafi’, signed the accord on the Yemeni side. According to the cooperation agreement on trade and shipping, which was signed by Hajjati and Yemeni Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Saeed Yafaee, the two countries will use their facilities to bolster sea transportation. The two sides also sealed a protocol to pave the ground for exchange of goods.