Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister to Visit Moscow

Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bouhabib will visit his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow today with bilateral meetings between the two leaders to be held over the next three days.

The meetings come against the backdrop of Russia’s agreement to send satellite images of the August 2020 Beirut explosion to Lebanon, signaling closer security coordination between the two countries.

Lebanon and Russia have increased ties over the past few years as Russia developed a growing geopolitical interest in the region as it races to control gas pipelines in the eastern Mediterranean. Russia is one of the only countries which has active relations with opposing political sides in Lebanon.

Expect the meetings to discuss geopolitical issues in the Middle East, as well as updates on political development within Lebanon. Bouhabib will also address the logistics of receiving those satellite images.

In the longer-term Russian influence in Lebanon will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. As former Prime Minister Hariri said, “we believe that Russia can help in solving the political deadlock in Lebanon.”

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