President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met on Wednesday with the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Rudakov, and received from him a letter from the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

The letter included Independence congratulations, and an affirmation of the friendly relations between Lebanon and Russia, where President Putin expressed his confidence that these relations will remain in the future, "so that we can, thanks to our joint efforts, ensure further development for the interest of our two peoples and in order to enhance security and stability in the Middle East".

In addition, President Putin affirmed Russian permanent commitment to "support Lebanon's sovereignty and unity, and the impermissibility of any external interference in Lebanon's internal affairs".

The meeting between the President and the Russian Ambassador tackled the results of the visit of Lebanese Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, to Moscow, and the talks he held with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations between Lebanon and Russia.

For his part, the President had conveyed Ambassador Rudakov his greetings to President Putin, and thanked him for the quick response shown by handing over to Lebanon the aerial photos taken by Russian satellites before and after the Beirut port blast on August 4, 2020. The President also pointed out that these photos will be placed at the disposal of forensic investigation, hoping that they will help in knowing new facts about this crime.

Finally, President Aoun commended the initiatives undertaken by Moscow to help Lebanon overcome the difficult circumstances it is going through.

President Aoun then met with MP Cesar Maalouf and addressed with him general affairs and a number of issues that concern Zahle region.

Developmental needs of Zahle and its surroundings were also tackled, including the rehabilitation of Masnaa - Dahr el-Baydar road, before the onset of winter due to the importance of this road in connecting the Bekaa valley with other Lebanese regions.

MP Maalouf also indicated that the meeting discussed electricity issues and the necessity of providing diesel fuel, in addition to the high cost of living and the sufferings of Bekaa residents.