Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Aoun, in Moscow on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2019) Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Aoun, in Moscow on Tuesday.
Information on Russian-Lebanese interstate relations is provided below.
The Soviet Union was one of the first countries to recognize Lebanon's independence in 1943. In August of the following year, the two countries established diplomatic relations. On December 30, 1991, Lebanon officially recognized the Russian federation. The two countries have been maintaining friendly relations.
Russia has been standing for preserving the unity, territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Lebanon. Lebanon, in turn, has been supporting Russia's active role in the middle East, including in the Arab-Israeli settlement process and the Syrian reconciliation efforts.
Russia made its contribution to ending the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War and resolving the Lebanese-Israeli conflict in July-August 2006.
The Russian-Lebanese political dialogue has been characterized by positive dynamics, with Russian officials maintaining contacts both with Lebanese officials and the country's leading political forces.
On February 24-26, 2010, then-Lebanese President Michel Suleiman became the first Lebanese head of state to pay an official visit to Russia. Suleiman came to Russia for his second visit in January 2013.
On November 15-16, 2010, Saad Hariri, who served as Lebanese prime minister between 2009 and 2011 and again assumed office in December 2016, made an official visit to Russia.
On February 7, 2014, Lebanon's then-Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi.
On May 14, 2015, Putin and Hariri, serving as the leader of Lebanon's Al-Mustaqbal (Future Movement) party, met in Sochi to exchange views on the situation in the Middle East and the state of Russian-Lebanese relations.
On April 1 of the following year, Putin received Hariri, who was in Moscow on a private visit, in the Kremlin.
On September 11-13, 2017, Hariri paid a working visit to Russia. It became Hariri's first visit to Russia since his return to the prime minister's post. On September 12, Medvedev held negotiations with Hariri in Moscow. A total of five documents were signed following the talks. On September 13, Putin received Hariri at the Bocharov Ruchey residence in Sochi. Hariri also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
On June 13, 2018, Putin met with Hariri in the Kremlin. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed among other things means to reinforce the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Lavrov has been to Lebanon on numerous occasions. The minister's most recent visit visit to the country took place on May 24-25, 2009.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil paid working visits to Russia in April 2014, November 2015, November 2017 and in August 2018 (as acting foreign minister).
On October 30, 2018, Lavrov received the president of the Lebanese Marada Movement, Suleiman Frangieh.
On December 4, 2018, Lavrov received Mikati, now a member of the Lebanese parliament.
On February 11, Lavrov met with former Lebanese Foreign Minister Jean Obeid.
The two countries have also been maintaining parliamentary and ministerial contacts along with interdepartmental ties between various agencies.
The Russian-Lebanese economic relations have been characterized by relatively small volumes and lacked stable dynamics.
According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, in 2018, the Russian-Lebanese trade totaled $470.4 million, which was a decrease of 25.7 percent compared to 2017, when trade amounted to $633.7 million.
Russian exports to Lebanon mainly consist of food products, agricultural raw materials and mineral products, while imports are represented by food products and agricultural raw materials (fruits, nuts, and tobacco), chemical products, textiles and footwear, precious metals and gem stones.
Russia and Lebanon have an Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. In April 2018, it held its fourth meeting in Beirut.
In 2004, the Russian-Lebanese business Council was set up at the initiative of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Russia's humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon has become another important aspect of relations between Moscow and Beirut.
There have been close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and Lebanon's Antiochian Orthodox Church. On November 14-15, 2011, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was in Lebanon as part of his visit to the Patriarchate of Antioch. On January 29, 2014, Patriarch John X of Antioch was received by Putin and Lavrov during his visit to Russia.
More than 10,000 Lebanese citizens have received higher education at former Soviet and Russian universities. Annual scholarships from the federal budget are set aside for the Lebanese studying in Russia.
In September 2014, the Lebanese-Russian House was opened in Lebanon's northern city of Batroun to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
