Raad Tackles Situations in Lebanon, Syria with Russian Delegation

Head of Hizbullah's Loyalty to Resistance bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, held talks Wednesday with a visiting delegation from Russia's senate, or Federation Council.

The delegation comprised the head of the council's foreign relations committee, Konstantin Kosachev, the committee's deputy head, member of the committee on defense and security Alexei Kondratiev, and Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin.

The meeting was also attended by Hizbullah MPs Ali Ammar, Hassan Fadlallah and Ali al-Muqdad.

A statement issued by the Loyalty to Resistance bloc said talks tackled “the parliamentary relations and the developments in Lebanon and the region, especially in Syria, in light of the latest developments.”

Raad stressed “the importance of bilateral ties and joint cooperation, and the importance of the Russian anti-terror role in Syria.”

He also reiterated his condolences to Russia over the death of the Russian ambassador in Turkey and the victims of the Russian military plane that crashed in the Black Sea.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday described the Syrian government's win in the strategic city of Aleppo as "a big victory for the side confronting terrorism."

"What happened in Aleppo over these past long months... was a real war, one of the toughest battles that Syria has seen, and one of the toughest battles that the region has seen in years," Nasrallah said.

In addition to help from Hizbullah, the Damascus regime has been bolstered by its allies Russia and Iran, while rebels have been backed by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and some western powers.