BEIRUT, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Oman and Lebanon have agreed to deepen cooperation across a wide range of sectors, according to a joint statement issued Wednesday at the conclusion of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's official visit to the Sultanate.

The statement followed two rounds of talks between Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and Aoun, during which the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in politics, economy, investment, banking, tourism, transport, and logistics.

The leaders instructed their governments to begin early preparations for the first session of the Omani-Lebanese Joint Committee, to be held in Muscat and headed by the foreign ministers of both countries, and to work towards signing agreements and memoranda of understanding that would enhance cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Oman News Agency, trade between Oman and Lebanon grew by 29.4 percent in the first half of 2025, while the number of Lebanese companies registered in Oman exceeded 1,035 as of September.

On regional issues, both sides urged an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and reiterated the call for a complete withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese and Arab territories.

Oman reaffirmed its full support for Lebanon's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its commitment to strengthening Lebanese state institutions -- particularly the armed forces and legitimate security agencies -- and to backing ongoing economic, financial, and administrative reforms.

The two countries also reiterated the Arab position calling for an end to the "Israeli occupation" and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Enditem