PRESIDENT AOUN HAILS KAZAKHSTAN EFFORTS TO REACH POLITICAL SOLUTION IN SYRIA

NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, on Tuesday received a written letter from his Kazakhstani counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev, which included an invitation to attend the first conference on sciences and technology for the Islamic Cooperation Organization. The two-day conference will be held in Astana on forthcoming September 10. The letter was delivered by Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Akylbek Kamaldinov, who visited Baabda palace today to meet with President Aoun, in presence of Kazakhstani Ambassador to Lebanon Azamat Birdibay. "The relations between Lebanon and Kazakhstan are witnessing a significant development in various fields," Kamaldinov said following the meeting. "[Kazakhstan] is looking forward to Lebanon's support for its membership in the UN Security Council for the year 2017-2018, and it is ready to participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to contribute to providing stability in the country," he added. For his part, Aoun highlighted determination to bolster the bilateral ties between the two countries, especially on the level of economic cooperation. He also hailed "the efforts exerted by Kazakhstan through hosting Astana talks, in an attempt to reach a political solution to the situation in the Middle East in general, and in Syria in particular." "Lebanon hopes that the peace efforts would succeed in restoring stability and security to Syria, as well as in ending the tribulations of the displaced Syrians, whose massive presence on the Lebanese soil has negatively affected Lebanon," Aoun underlined. He also hoped that the peace talks would succeed in securing the safe return of refugees to their homeland. "Lebanon is also suffering due to the terrorists and their acts and attacks, but the army and the other armed forces are in constant confrontation with the terrorist organizations to prevent them from achieving their subversive goals on our national soil," he concluded.