Russia ready to provide urgent humanitarian help to Lebanon

Moscow, July 20 (UNI) Russia today said it was ready to provide immediate humanitarian help to Lebanon.

''Russia is ready to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Lebanese people. Relevant requests have already been sent to the Lebanese government,'' Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russia yesterday called for an immediate ceasefire in the West Asia, as it started evacuation of Russian citizens from Lebanon.

Today, it evacuated a total of 1,356 Russians and CIS nationals from Lebanon, Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said.

''Five planes operated by the Emergency Situations and Transportation Ministries, as well as commercial air carriers, have evacuated to Russia those who wanted to leave the West Asia's conflict zone,'' a spokesman for the Ministry told RIA Novosti news agency.

A plane with 357 citizens of Russia and other former Soviet republics arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport from Lebanon, today, the rescue services said, adding another plane was expected at the airport soon with 301 Russian and CIS citizens onboard.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem have called for active efforts in the search for political and diplomatic ways to settle the conflict in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had dispatched Saltanov to West Asia to hold discussion with his counterparts to find ways to end the ongoing conflict.

Mr Saltanov and Mr al-Moallem met in Damascus on July 19 in order to discuss the situation in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the statement said.

''The parties exchanged opinions on possible ways for the earliest possible end to the bloodshed from which innocent people suffer. Both the leaders are certain that a political and diplomatic settlement should be actively pursued,'' the statement noted.

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