BEIRUT, LEBANON: Lebanese politician and chairman Amal Nabih Berri stressed the need to fully implement the Taif Accord and to establish political reform in the country.

Berri, who headed for talks in Iran amid tight elections in both countries, was speaking during an interview with Arab journalists.

“The coming period requires the establishment of a legislative reform and the complete implementation of the Taif Accord, as well as the creation of an electoral law based on the proportional system,” Berri said adding, “What is really needed is a true reform in order to save the future of Lebanese citizens and to stand up to the foreign interference and the risks surrounding the country.”

Berri also met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and discussed latest developments. Khatami highlighted the necessity to promote bilateral relations and hailed the unity of the Lebanese people and their eagerness to overcome the challenges and the pressures exerted on their country.

Alliance of Berri’s Amal movement and Hasan Nasrullah’s Hezbollah has 33 seats so far in the 128-member parliament.

Iran and Syria are the key backers of Hezbollah although the movement's Tehran representative, Abdullah Safieddin, told AFP in an interview this week that it received no weapons from either government.