Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri visited the Russian State Duma (the Lower House of Representatives) on Wednesday afternoon, where he met with the chairman of the council's foreign affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov, and discussed the situation in Lebanon and the region.
Following the meeting, Pushkov said that Russia intends on playing a bigger role in the region, adding that Lebanon represents a unique example of coexistence between different its sects and ethnic groups.
In this context, he stressed the importance of Lebanon’s stability and development.
Regarding the Syrian crisis, Pushkov stated that the solution to reaching an agreement over Syria lies in the alienation of extremist Islamic forces like the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State from the country's ruling system.
In this regard, he urged the International Community to renew its efforts to forging a solution.