Date: Aug 20, 2018 Source: The Daily Star In Moscow, Bassil, Lavrov to discuss refugee return BEIRUT: Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to meet Monday. The recent Russian proposal for facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland is expected to be a key topic of discussion. Bassil departed Beirut for Moscow Sunday evening, according to the state-run National News Agency. Russian news agency TASS reported the pair will discuss the relationship between their countries, the situation in Syria and return of Syrian refugees. “The two top diplomats will thoroughly discuss pressing regional and global issues, focusing on the situation in the Middle East, first and foremost, in Lebanon and Syria, as well as the situation surrounding Syria, including the Russia-initiated comprehensive work on the return of Syrian refugees to their home country,” a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted by TASS as saying. Last month, meetings took place between high-level Lebanese and Russian delegations about a Russian proposal for a joint plan for the return of Syrian refugees. The proposal, which was welcomed by Lebanon and sent to Washington, included the establishment of working groups in Lebanon and Jordan involving U.S. and Russian officials. Bassil’s upcoming meeting with Lavrov follows several other visits between Russian and Lebanese officials in recent weeks. Last week, Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan and George Chaaban, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s adviser for Russian affairs, met separately in Moscow with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. Their meetings followed a visit earlier this month by head of the Progressive Socialist Party’s parliamentary bloc Teymour Joumblatt, who also met with the Russian minister. Like the other Lebanese officials, Bassil is set to discuss the situation in Syria and the return of Syrian refugees to their home country, as well as ways to strengthen coordination and maintain dialogue between Russia and Lebanon. According to TASS, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement stressed the need to ensure Lebanon’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and inter-religious harmony.” The ministry also noted the need for the quick formation of the Lebanese government. “Moscow warns against attempts to destabilize the situation in Lebanon and calls on all the Lebanese political forces to show high responsibility and readiness to reach compromises on pressing domestic issues, particularly concerning the early establishment of a new government following the May parliamentary election,” the statement said.