BEIRUT, July 21. /TASS/. Russian foreign ministry’s envoy on the Middle East settlement Vladimir Safronkov met in Beirut with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and parliament speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, the Russian embassy in Lebanon told TASS.

"The Russian foreign minister’s special envoy arrived in Lebanon as part of his regional tour and met with Lebanese official to discuss the development of the situation around the Gaza Strip and along the ‘blue line’ (the Lebanese-Israeli border - TASS), the embassy said. "The sides also discussed issues of Lebanon’s internal agenda with a focus on the election of the republic’s president and the Syrian refugee crisis."

The Russian diplomat also held consultation at the Lebanese foreign ministry, met with Lebanese Army commander Joseph Aoun and head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad.

"In the context of bilateral cooperation, special attention was paid to the event timed to mark the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Beirut," the embassy said.

Apart from that, Safronkov met with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert to "exchange views on the current military-political situation in the Middle East with a focus on the threat of further escalation in southern Lebanon," the embassy added.