RUSSIA WEIGHING ADDITIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 009354

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2016
TAGS: PREL EAID LE RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA WEIGHING ADDITIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
TO LEBANON

REF: STATE 139903

Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Alice Wells. Re
asons: 1.4(B/D).


1. (C) In addition to contemplating a limited contingent of
military personnel to serve in UNIFIL (septel),Russia is
considering providing additional shipments of humanitarian
assistance to Lebanon according to the MFA and the Lebanese
Ambassador in Moscow. MFA Syria and Lebanon Section Chief
Andrey Panov told us August 24 that Russia had already
supplied four planeloads of emergency humanitarian assistance
through the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies and
Natural Disasters (EMERCOM). Russia was consulting with the
Lebanese government about additional aid, including
reconstruction assistance. DFM Aleksandr Saltanov will head
the Russian delegation to the meeting in Stockholm.


2. (C) Lebanese Ambassador Assem Jaber told us on August 23
that cooperation with the GOR in providing humanitarian
assistance had been excellent. Jaber noted that four EMERCOM
flights (on August 9, 17, 21, and 23) had delivered tons of
food, medicine, bedding, and tents to a UN depot in Cyprus;
the material had then been sent on to Lebanon. Jaber said
Russia was willing to provide additional medical supplies,
but it was not clear whether the Russian medicines offered
were the same as the European drugs that Lebanon had
requested. He noted that a number of Russian private
companies had also provided humanitarian relief supplies. On
reconstruction assistance, Jaber said that Russian interest
had so far been limited to firms that wanted to work in
Lebanon on commercial terms.
BURNS