Bogdanov meets with Lebanese leaders ahead of LAS summit
MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) - Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.
The meetings were held on the Dead Sea coast in Jordan on Tuesday ahead of a League of Arab States (LAS) summit, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report.
The meeting with Aoun, which also engaged Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, "focused on Lebanese developments and Syria settlement issues," the ministry said. "The Russian side reiterated its principled support to Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and urged resolution of any pressing items on the Lebanese national agenda in a constructive dialogue between leading political forces of this country," it said.
"The sides also touched upon topical aspects of further strengthening of the traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Lebanon, including broader trade and economic relations and a deeper political dialogue," the ministry said.
The meeting with al-Hariri "addressed a set of Middle East affairs with an emphasis on the situation in Lebanon, including the socioeconomic position of the country and the presence of Syrian refugees in its territory. The sides exchanged opinions on the Syrian settlement prospects and said there was no alternative to the Geneva negotiations based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254," the ministry said.
The sides also spoke about practical aspects of the continuous development of mutually advantageous cooperation between Russia and Lebanon in trade, economic, investment, energy and other fields.