Russia pushes for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pushed today for Syrian troops to pull out of Lebanon, adding weight to the mounting international pressure on Moscow’s long-time ally.
While saying the Syrian troops should leave Lebanon, Lavrov told the BBC that the withdrawal must be conducted in such a way that it doesn’t break the “fragile balance in Lebanon”, according to remarks on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.
Lavrov’s comments echoed a Russian Foreign Ministry statement earlier this week which urged Syria to withdraw its 15,000 troops from Lebanon in line with September’s UN Security Council resolution.
Lavrov said that while Russia, a permanent Council member, abstained during the vote on the resolution, it must be implemented.
He also voiced hope that forthcoming elections will bring a new Lebanese government that would help stabilise the situation.
Syria, which the United States says sponsors international terrorism, is also accused by the Lebanese opposition of being behind the last month’s assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri that plunged the nation into political turmoil.
Syria has been a close ally of Moscow since the Soviet times, and the Russian government is negotiating the sale of advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Damascus in defiance of the US and Israeli pressure. Syrian President Bashar Assad visited Russia in January.
The Interfax news agency reported today that Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Walid al-Moalim is set to arrive in Moscow tomorrow for urgent talks with Lavrov on the situation in Lebanon and other regional events.
