Moscow praises cooperation with Lebanon in efforts to return Syrian refugees to their homes - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has received a delegation of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party's leadership, reaffirming Russia's support to territorial integrity and sovereignty of that country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"At the meeting the interlocutors thoroughly exchanged opinions on developments in Lebanon and around it, focusing on the objective of the soonest possible formation of a coalition government of national unity led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri," according to the statement released on Wednesday evening.
The delegation of the Progressive Socialist Party included Deputy Chairman Taimur Jumblatt, former Lebanese Health Minister Wael Abu Faour, and Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party Chair Walid Jumblatt's Personal Representative in Moscow Halim Bou Fakhreddine.
"The Russian side reaffirmed its principled policy of supporting the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and stability of a multi-faith Lebanon, and the non-acceptance of external interference in its domestic affairs," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The sides focused on the situation in neighboring Syria, the Foreign Ministry said.
"At the same time, the interlocutors stressed that a political settlement of the crisis in that country in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 has no alternative, and highly praised Russia-Lebanon cooperation in ensuring favorable conditions for the return of Syrian refugees, who were granted temporary asylum in Lebanon, to their home country," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.