BEIRUT: Efforts are underway to end the six-month-old presidential impasse in Lebanon, Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin said in comments published Thursday.
“Russia is engaged along with the international community in this regard,” he told local newspaper An-Nahar, in response to a question on whether visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was carrying with him an initiative to end the presidential deadlock.
“The issue will not be resolved with an initiative from one external side,” he said, stressing the need for a “constructive and encouraging stance on the part of all the political parties.”
Bogdanov arrives Thursday on a one-day visit to Lebanon to commemorate the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Russia.
Speaking to The Daily Star Wednesday, Zasypkin said that Lebanon was of utmost importance to Russia, describing the small country as the gateway to the Arab world.
Russia will commemorate Friday the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with Lebanon at a ceremony at UNESCO Palace in Beirut.
Bogdanov is also scheduled to meet with political leaders on his trip, according to Zasypkin.
“It will be an opportunity to hold meetings with Lebanese officials and various political factions to exchange opinions over what is happening in the Middle East and in the international arena,” Zasypkin said.
In his interview with An-Nahar, Zazypkin said Bogdanov would also tackle the issue of terrorism.
The presidential vacuum, Lebanon’s failure to hold parliamentary elections on time, the socio-economic repercussions of the presence of more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the rising threat of terrorism are all topics expected to be tackled by Bogdanov.
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