Hezbollah on Saturday called for a mass turnout to welcome Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he arrives on a two-day official visit to Lebanon next week.
"We call on you to welcome President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday at 7:30 am (0430 GMT) all along the airport road," the group’s al-Manar television broadcast over a picture of a smiling Iranian leader.
"Lebanon is the country of resistance — welcome to your family," said the voice-over to the television spot, which was signed by both Hezbollah and Amal, another Lebanese Shiite party that is allied to the "party of God."
Ahmadinejad’s October 13-14 visit is eagerly anticipated by Hezbollah, which is planning to give him a warm welcome as well as a tour of the southern border region with Israel.
However, the trip has sparked controversy in Lebanon with some members of the pro-Western parliamentary majority calling it a provocation and the United States also expressing concern.
Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah are set to appear together at a rally in a stadium in Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut.
Also, according to al-Manar TV Ahmadinejad plans to throw a rock at the direction of Israel in a symbolic gesture of defiance.
Hezbollah chief comes out of hiding to plant a treeNasrallah briefly came out of hiding on Friday to plant a tree as part of his Shiite militant party’s campaign to encourage the Lebanese to go green.
Nasrallah, who was last seen in public in July 2008, was shown on Hezbollah’s al-Manar television station digging a hole and planting a tree outside his home in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The building was destroyed by air raids during Hezbollah’s 2006 war with Israel.
Nasrallah, who was accompanied by the agriculture minister for the ceremony, said in a statement it was important for him to plant the tree at that location.
He urged all Lebanese to follow his example and plant trees outside their homes.
Hezbollah has led a campaign to plant one million trees in Lebanon and Nasrallah’s tree was the millionth.
Hezbollah’s party is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States.
During his visit, Ahmadinejad is due to meet President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and parliament speaker Nabih Berri.
Iran ready for nuclear talks
Meanwhile, Iran is ready to hold talks with six major powers over its nuclear program "in late October or early November", Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Saturday.
"We think late October or early November will be an appropriate date for the talks by the representatives of Iran and 5+1 countries," Mottaki told a news conference.
He gave no details about the venue of the talks. Western officials say they could take place in Vienna or Geneva.
Talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China — as well as Germany, meant to address concerns about Tehran’s uranium enrichment, stalled in October last year, leading to a toughening of international sanctions.
The United States and its European allies fear Iran’s declare civilian nuclear energy program is a cover to develop the capability of producing nuclear weapons.
Iran, the world’s fifth-largest oil producer, says it needs nuclear fuel-making technology to generate electricity.
Ahmadinejad has set conditions for further talks, saying a greater variety of countries must be involved, the parties must say whether they seek friendship or hostility with Iran, and they must express a view on Israel’s alleged nuclear arsenal.
The West is wary of what they see as Iranian efforts to dodge the main issue in talks, buying time for advances in uranium enrichment.