A high-ranking Russian delegation is set to arrive in Beirut this week with a very important message in light of Lebanon’s worsening economic and financial crisis, Al-Joumhouria reported.
According to the report, the delegation will arrive on Wednesday for a 2-day stay, during which its members will meet senior Lebanese officials to discuss important matters related to the latest developments in Lebanon and the region.
The head of the Russian National Defense Management Center, Mikhail Mezentsev, will be leading the delegation, which includes several high-ranking Russian officials, such as the Foreign Ministry’s envoy for Syria Alexander Kinschak, as well as several civilian and military assistants.
The delegation’s composition, as prominent diplomatic sources told the newspaper, reflects the significance of the visit that comes in light of an emerging “correlation” between Lebanese and Syrian files, with their various political and strategic aspects.
Additionally, it conveys Russia’s “new interests in the Lebanese file,” as the country plans to support the ongoing international efforts in providing solutions to help pull Lebanon out of its crisis, particularly by France, the sources explained.
The expected Russian visit comes after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov postponed his planned flight to Beirut this month.
It will also be taking place nearly a week after Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was appointed to form a new government, which he promised will consist of non-partisan specialists, in accordance with the terms of the French initiative.