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Moscow urges Lebanese sides to stop hostilities, to honor truce agreement

Moscow urges Lebanese sides to stop hostilities and to honor the truce

MOSCOW, August 24 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow urges Lebanese sides to stop hostilities and to honor the truce, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday in comment on the frequent armed clashes between the Alawites and the Sunni in Tripoli.

“Tensions have grown sharply in the second largest city of Lebanon, Tripoli. The districts Bab al-Tabbana and Jabal Muhsin are the epicenter of clashes between Sunni and Alawite armed groups. The media said 13 people are dead and about 160 are wounded,” the ministry said.

Moscow “is seriously concerned over the outbreak of violence and clashes in Tripoli and calls on the warring sides to stop the hostilities and to honor the truce agreement reached with the direct participation of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati,” it said.

“Russia thinks it is of paramount importance to resolve arising problems in the constitutional field, through a broad national dialog, with due account of interests of every political and religious force and group of the country,” the ministry said. “This is the only way to ensure stability and sustainable democratic and socioeconomic development of Lebanon in the interests of all of its citizens.”

The ministry reaffirmed “the unwavering support of Russia to sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon and the impermissibility of external interference in Lebanese internal affairs.”

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