BEIRUT: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has assured Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil of Moscow’s support for Lebanon’s stability, unity and territorial integrity amid a troubled Middle East swept by conflicts and jihadi violence, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.
The statement, which was distributed by Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry Wednesday, said Lavrov and Bassil discussed the plight of Iraqi and Syrian Christians facing an onslaught by ISIS militants, during their meeting on the sidelines of the Human Rights Council assembly in Geneva.
“Lavrov briefed his Lebanese counterpart on efforts deployed by the Russian authorities, the civil society and NGOs to assist the affected Christian communities as part of humanitarian support for countries of the region,” the statement said.
It said “Lavrov has reiterated Russia’s solid stance in support of Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence from foreign interference, as both expressed concern over terrorists’ unrelenting attempts to destabilize Lebanon through stirring sectarian discord.”