Zasypkin Calls for Consensus on New Head of State without Foreign Interference

Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin stressed on Wednesday the importance of consensus among the rival parties to elect a new head of state according to the constitution and within the deadline.

“Foreign countries should encourage the Lebanese to carry out (the elections) without interfering in the details,” Zasypkin said in an interview published in As Safir newspaper.

He pointed out that “the new president should be capable of finding harmony between two main characteristics -being consensual and strong- in order to become successful.”

The Russian diplomat said that he doesn't fear a “short” vacuum at the country's most important Christian post, saying “what really matters is the agreement that will be reached” between the political arch-foes.

“Electing a new president soon is better but the characteristics matter... Talking about the possibility of a vacuum is not constructive,” Zasypkin noted.

Lawmakers failed last week to elect a new president as no candidate was able to garner the needed two-thirds of votes of the 128-member parliament to become Lebanon's next head of state.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea received the votes of only 48 MPs while 16 lawmakers voted for Aley lawmaker Henri Helou, one for Kataeb party chief ex-President Amin Gemayel and 52 MPs from the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance cast blank ballots.

The majority of March 8 alliance MPs withdrew from the session after the vote, resulting in lack of quorum.

Asked about the conditions of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the efforts carried out by Russia in this regard, Zasypkin reiterated to As Safir that his country will continue providing aid to the displaced.

“We are seeking a permanent solution for the problem by reaching a settlement to return the refugees to their country … and a cooperation between Russia and Lebanon,” he added.

The influx of nearly one million Syrian refugees, according to U.N. figures, has swollen Lebanon's population by 25 percent since the war broke out across the border in March 2011.

The United Nations forecasts that registered refugees in Lebanon could reach 1.5 million by the end of the year.

Last week, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil traveled to Moscow on a two-day official visit, where he held talks with prominent Russian officials.

Concerning Lebanon's offshore oil and gas wealth, Zasypkin told As Safir that his country is following up the matter as several Russian companies are interested in exploring the country's oil resources.

Bassil urged Russia during a joint press conference with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov to take part in oil and gas exploration.

Zasypkin said that any “competition between U.S. and Russian companies to win oil tenders is strictly business and has nothing to do with politics.”

The country's oil and gas wealth attracted around 46 Arab and international companies in the second pre-qualification round of the tenders process.

However, acute discord among Lebanese officials is also delaying the awarding of 10 of the oil blocks.