HEZBOLLAH MP HEADS DELEGATION TO RUSSIA

Tue 16 March 2021:

Head of Hezbollah’s Parliamentary Bloc, Mohammad Raad, headed to Russia and met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday, Anadolu reported.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that both the Lebanese and Russian officials discussed the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East in general.

“Sergey Lavrov confirmed Russia’s consistent line in support of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon,” the statement said.

“He stressed the need to address pressing issues on the national agenda through a broad dialogue involving representatives of all the leading religious groups in Lebanese society exclusively in the legal field and without foreign interference,” the statement added.

The minister also highlighted the urgent need to form a new government headed by Saad Hariri that is capable of ensuring Lebanon’s exit from the current crisis.

Speaking about Syria, Lavrov stressed the need to repatriate Syrian refugees, including those in Lebanon, adding that Russia had an “unwavering commitment to achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East in accordance with the existing international legal framework.”

Raad’s visit came days after Lavrov’s return from a tour to Arab countries, in which he met with Lebanese Prime Minister-elect Saad Hariri.

Lebanon has been in a political crisis since a massive explosion rocked the port of Beirut in 2020. After the incident, the government resigned, and the country has not been able to form a new government, aggravating the economic and health crises.

In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) welcomes the head of Hezbollah parliamentary bloc Mohammad Raad for talks in Moscow, Russia, March 15, 2021. (Via AP)