Sunday's meeting -- the first between Hariri and Nasrallah in more than two years -- took place ahead of a national dialogue session next week set to address issues dividing pro- and anti-Syrian factions, notably the fate of Hezbollah's arsenal.

A statement from Hariri's office said the meeting stressed the importance of "national unity and civil peace to prevent tensions and reinforce dialogue".

It said both sides underlined the importance of maintaining cooperation and described the tone of the meeting as "open and frank".

The Hariri aide said the meeting took place at a secret location for security reasons.

Bickering between Hariri's Western-backed parliamentary majority and Hezbollah, which is supported by Syria and Iran, brought the country close to civil war in May, when the Shiite militant group staged a spectacular takeover of mainly Sunni west Beirut.

The fighting left at least 68 people dead and only ended after a Qatari-brokered accord that led to the formation of a national unity government in which the Hezbollah-led opposition has veto power over major decisions.

Rival political leaders are due to meet again on November 5 for a so-called national dialogue. -AFP