America News Agency

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov made remarks at the opening of his meeting with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Rajji in Moscow on October 12, 2026.

Lavrov said this was the second meeting between the two countries within the past month and expressed hope that contacts would continue with the same intensity. Noting that Rajji was the first Lebanese foreign minister to visit Moscow in five years, Lavrov said there should not be such long gaps in contacts between the two countries.

Lavrov argued that Lebanon and its people were facing a serious crisis due to Israel's military operations and steps escalating tensions, and reaffirmed Russia's support for Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Lavrov said bilateral relations have traditionally been friendly and claimed that around one million Lebanese citizens had been severely affected by the conflict and that the humanitarian situation had become serious.

Lavrov recalled that Russia sent humanitarian aid to people in need in Lebanon in April and said humanitarian aid shipments would continue.

Lavrov said developments in the region could not be assessed independently of one another and expressed hope that regional developments would be discussed at the meeting and that a common approach supporting normalization through agreements among countries in the region would be developed.