Russian foreign minister to visit Lebanon on tour of region

Russia's ambassador to Lebanon announced on October 14 that Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov will come to Lebanon on October 24 for a 24-hour visit on his Middle East tour.

After meeting with Foreign Minister Fares Boueiz, the Russian ambassador said that the aim of Primakov's visit will be to discuss the situation in the region and relations between the countries. He also said that the foreign minister will invite Boueiz to visit Moscow just as Prime Minister Rafik Hariri did earlier this year.

Asked whether the foreign minister's visit, which follows signs of improving cooperation between French President Jaques Chirac and Russian president Boris Yeltsin, is a part of a French-Russian effort to play a greater role in the region, the ambassador said, "We are in complete cooperation with the French with regard to European and Middle Eastern affairs."