Normalization of situation in Middle East facilitates Russian-Lebanese cooperation - Lavrov

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Russia consistently supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. "Russia wants the country [Lebanon] to be stable and safe, supports inter-confessional peace and effective functioning of state institutions," Lavrov said. "The situation is uneasy in the region, the threat of terrorism and extremism is growing. We know how close to heart you take everything that is going on in your motherland," he added. Russia’s top diplomat said he wants to exchange opinions on effectively fighting terrorism and ensuring stability in Lebanon. "This envisages taking into account the processes in neighboring countries. We want the situation to stabilize. It will facilitate bilateral cooperation which we highly appreciate," Lavrov said. Hariri noted that Lebanon is going through hard times because of deteriorating security and interference of external forces. "We face terrorism, we want to be far from confrontations in the region," the former prime minister stressed. "Among the contributing factors is political vacuum, the inability to elect a president in Lebanon," he added. Hariri praised Russia’s role and thanked Moscow for assisting in the work of international tribunal on assassination of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Read more