The Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil held with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov a joint press conference in Moscow.

The Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil held with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov a joint press conference in Moscow.

Lavrov considered that the election of a new president would help unite the Lebanese, pointing out that "the process of electing the President of the Republic reflects the distinctiveness of the political structure of the Lebanese State, and we do not have preferences in this regard."

"We tackled the current situation in Lebanon and we will support the efforts of the security forces, the Lebanese Army and the Lebanese state institutions to solve the thorny social and economic problems," Lavrov pledged.

"We will deal with any person elected by the Lebanese Parliament based on the Constitution," he assured, believing the situation in the region could only change after the settlement of the Syrian crisis.

"Lebanon received about one million displaced people what constitutes a quarter of the population, which led to a major economic crisis. In this context, I assured to the Minister Russia's assistance to Lebanon."

Lavrov called for expediting the launch of the third round of the Geneva Conference, saying "the assessment of the Palestinian reconciliation by America is illogical."

"We always call for resolving the Palestinian issue through internal unity," he said, adding that the Palestinian delegation can perform better after this reconciliation which does not affect the negotiations with 'Israel'.

For his part, Minister Bassil highlighted the importance of a policy that helps strengthening the capacities of Lebanon.

"The government and all State institutions must be strong, and this requirement is necessary to ensure stability in Lebanon," he said, adding that "there are new ways of cooperation and standards that must be kept in mind."

Bassil declared that "Russia could be a partner for Lebanon in the field of oil and gas," stressing that "Lebanon will do everything in its capacity to issue licenses for the extraction of oil and gas, and Russia is welcome to contribute to this process."
The Minister stressed that "Lebanon is an important country in terms of stability in the region, and Russia can play a key role in promoting this stability."

"The Lebanese Army and official institutions have adopted an anti-terrorism path, and this is where we ask for Russia's support," Bassil concluded, noting that discussions with his Russian counterpart dwelled on the dossier of displaced Syrians in Lebanon and means to create the appropriate conditions for their return to Syria.