RUSSIA/LEBANON: PM SINIORA'S VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 012986 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID IR LE RS SUBJECT: RUSSIA/LEBANON: PM SINIORA'S VISIT CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES DANIEL A. RUSSELL. REASONS: 1.4(B/D) . ¶1. (C) PRIME MINISTER SINIORA CAME AWAY SATISFIED WITH HIS DECEMBER 14-16 VISIT TO MOSCOW; THE ATMOSPHERICS WERE EXCELLENT ACCORDING TO LEBANESE AMBASSADOR ASSEM JABER'S READOUT TO THE CHARGE. BESIDES PUTIN, SINIORA MET WITH SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY IGOR IVANOV, EX-FOREIGN MINISTER PRIMAKOV AND ORTHODOX AND MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS. JABER SAID THAT PUTIN IMPRESSED SINIORA WITH HIS COMMAND OF MIDDLE EAST ISSUES. ¶2. (C) IN A LARGELY ONE-ON-ONE SESSION WITH SINIORA, PUTIN EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR LEBANONS INDEPENDENCE, SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. HE BACKED A LEBANESE SOLUTION TO THE CURRENT CRISIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH LEBANON'S CONSTITUTION, AND HE REACTED FAVORABLY TO SINIORA'S 19 10 1 NATIONAL RECONCILIATION GOVERNMENT CONCEPT. PUTIN DERIDED THE IDEA OF POLITICAL CHANGE THROUGH STREET DEMONSTRATIONS, A TACTIC HE LIKENED TO THE "COLORED" REVOLUTIONS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. PUTIN REITERATED RUSSIA'S SUPPORT FOR THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UN AND THE GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON AND THE ACCOMPANYING STATUTE FOR THE SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON. HE PROMISED THAT RUSSIA WOULD ATTEND THE JANUARY 25 RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE IN PARIS, BUT OFFERED NO SPECIFICS ON POTENTIAL RUSSIAN ASSISTANCE. PUTIN DID VOLUNTEER THAT, AFTER THE CURRENT CRISIS IS RESOLVED, ASSISTANCE TO THE LEBANESE ARMED FORCES WOULD BE ONE OPTION FOR RUSSIA TO CONSIDER. ¶3. (C) WITH IGOR IVANOV, SINIORAS DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON THE REGION AND THE PEACE PROCESS. IVANOV REITERATED RUSSIAN SUPPORT FOR UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1701 AND THE SPECIAL TRIBUNAL, BUT CAUTIONED THAT THE LATTER SHOULD FOCUS ON THE HARIRI ASSASSINATION AND NOT BE USED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES AGAINST THIRD COUNTRIES. IVANOV URGED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGE BOTH SYRIA AND IRAN. ISOLATION OF THOSE TWO STATES WOULD NOT CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE IN THE REGION. IVANOV OPINED THAT SYRIA WAS THE EASIER WITH WHICH TO DEAL, SINCE IRAN'S FOREIGN POLICY WAS SO FOCUSED ON ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS. IVANOV NOTED THAT IRAN WOULD BE SANCTIONED BY THE END OF THE MONTH AND HE WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT IRAN'S REACTION, WHICH HE HOPED WOULD BE PEACEFUL AND MEASURED. ¶4. (C) JABER CALLED PRIMAKOV'S APPROACH TO SINIORA AS PRO-SYRIAN AND IDEOLOGICAL (READ ANTI-US). SINIORA GENTLY CHASTISED PRIMAKOV FOR PUBLICLY STATING THAT SYRIA HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HARIRI ASSASSINATION BEFORE AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL HAD EVEN CONVENED. HE ADVISED PRIMAKOV TO JUDGE SYRIA BY ITS ACTIONS AND NOT ITS WORDS. PRIMAKOV COUNTERED THAT HE HAD MET WITH HARIRI SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH AND BEEN PUBLICLY SUPPORTIVE OF HIS GOVERNMENT. RUSSELL