Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri visited Russia on Thursday, securing Moscow’s support for the swift formation of a new government in Lebanon and the required measures to deal with a worsening economic crisis the country is facing.
Initially, Hariri was expected to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin but the meeting was eventually replaced with a 50-minute phone call between the two leaders.
According to Russian authorities, direct talks were not possible due to health concerns after Putin received his second vaccine shot against the coronavirus.
Hariri also held talks with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin over the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, in addition to discussions about the Lebanese-Russian bilateral relations.
“We confirm our willingness to do whatever it takes to develop these relations in different fields in the coming stage, for the benefit of our people,” said Mishustin as he welcomed Hariri and the accompanying delegation.
The Russian premier also stressed “the strong ties between both countries.”
For his part, Hariri said, “Lebanon is in economic, social and health distress, and we hope that you will help by securing the Russian vaccine that has proven effective for Lebanon’s people and residents.”
Hariri, a three-time prime minister, resigned in 2019 after nationwide protests against a corrupt political elite which demonstrators blamed for pushing the country into crisis.
He was nominated prime minister again in October but remains at loggerheads with President Michel Aoun and has been unable to form a new government.
Following his meeting with Mishustin, Hariri told reporters he discussed economic issues with the Russian premier, noting that when Lebanon forms a government and implements the required reforms, “we would like to see all the Russian companies invest in Lebanon, whether in the electricity sector or other infrastructure projects.”
A statement released by the Kremlin said Putin reaffirmed “the principled support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”
It added that Putin and Hariri discussed regional issues and expressed readiness to cooperate on creating favourable conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon.
Experts say Russia is taking into account its relations with Syria and considering a delicate balance between its role in the war-torn country and ties with Beirut. This factor makes Moscow more cautious than the US when it comes to addressing the political crisis in Lebanon, the experts argue.
Since Hariri was nominated in October, political bickering has delayed the formation of a new cabinet as Lebanon sinks deeper into its worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history.
The economic crisis is the gravest threat to Lebanon’s stability since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990.Hariri has been insisting on forming a cabinet of experts whose main job will be to get Lebanon out of its paralysing economic crisis.
Other groups, including Aoun, Gibran Bassil’s Free Patriotic Movement and Iran-backed Hezbollah, insist on a mixed cabinet of politicians and experts.
On Thursday, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale warned that Lebanese politicians who continue to block reforms in the crisis-hit country could face punitive actions by Washington and its allies.
“Those who continue to obstruct progress on the reform agenda jeopardise their relationship with the United States and our partners and open themselves up to punitive actions,” Hale said after meeting Aoun, a political ally of Hezbollah, whose son-in-law, Basssil, has been targeted by US sanctions because of alleged corruption.
“Today there’s been very little progress but it’s not too late,” Hale said.
The senior US official also accused Hezbollah and Iran of undermining the Lebanese state, adding that Washington has long called for Lebanon’s leaders to show sufficient flexibility to form a government that “is willing and capable of reversing the collapse that is underway.”
He noted that the US and the international community are ready to help, saying that “the time to form a government, not block it, is now. The time to build a government is now. The time for comprehensive reform is now.”
Source : The Arab Weekly News
