Bassil, Lavrov Discuss 'Security and Stability' in Lebanon, Refugees

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Tuesday received a lengthy phone call from his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during which a host of issues were discussed, the National News Agency reported.

They discussed “the issue of security and safety in Lebanon and the importance of preserving stability without linking the country to the region's problems, especially in terms of forming the government,” NNA said

“They also addressed the Syrian crisis file and the need to carry on with the political solution, the importance of forming a panel to devise a constitution, and the need not to link the return home of displaced Syrians to any other issues, especially amid the reports about attempts to discourage the refugees from returning, despite the appropriate return conditions for many of them,” the agency added.

Lavrov promised that Russia “will continue to facilitate the return with all the relevant authorities,” NNA said.

The two men also discussed “Syria's rebuilding efforts and the important role that Lebanon can play” in addition to “the bilateral ties between the two countries, especially economic cooperation and the issue of religious freedoms.”