AKIPRESS.COM - Lebanese President Michael Aoun has arrived in Egypt for the first time since his inauguration, shortly after defending the militant group Hezbollah's arms role, ABC News reported.

Aoun's Monday visit is the first for the former army commander to Egypt in 55 years. He was elected in October after a 29-month vacuum in the country's top post.

Lebanon's political factions are deeply divided, with some, like Aoun's party and Hezbollah, aligning with Iran, and their opponents siding with Saudi Arabia. He met with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

"As long as the Lebanese army is not strong enough to battle Israel ... we feel the need for its existence," Aoun told the Egyptian TV network CBC on Sunday in reference to Hezbollah, adding "It has a complementary role to the Lebanese army."