Russian envoy, Lebanese politician discuss settling of conflict in Syria

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/. Russian President’s special envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, and the leader of Lebanon’s Christian Party [Kataeb], Samy Gemayel, had a meeting on Thursday, in the course of which they discussed the ways to settle the crisis in Syria and the internal situation in Lebanon, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "In the course of the conversation, the interlocutors had an in-depth exchange of opinions on the internal political situation taking shape in Lebanon and the pressing problems on the Middle East agenda with accent on the earliest possible settlement of the crisis in Syria," the report said. "The Russian side reaffirmed its persistent stance on support for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability of the multi-religious Lebanon and stressed its plans to continue developing variegated Russian-Lebanese relations," the ministry said. Samy Gemayel hailed Russia’s policy in the Middle East and underlines Moscow’s efforts to defend the Christian communities there. "The chairman of Kataeb party gave special focus to an issue as important for Lebanon from the point of view of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Syria as the return home of Syrian refugees stranded in the Lebanese territory," the report said. Read more