NNA - Outgoing Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, renewed Monday calls upon all the Lebanese parties to keep dissociated from Syria's events and to enhance cooperation to speed up the formation of the long-awaited government.



Mikati met today at the Grand Serail with the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, over the current juncture in the Arab region and the Middle East.



"Amid this current dangerous time, Russia is exerting all efforts to avoid a military strike on Syria and to bring the issue back to the course of a political settlement," he told reporters following the meeting.



"As to Lebanon, we insist on the necessity to dissociate Lebanon from what is happening in the region especially in Syria, in order that the situation in Lebanon should be safe and stable. This is a priority to the Russian foreign policy in the current stage," he added.



Mikati later met with the Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Giuseppe Morabito, who hoped that Italian nationals in Lebanon would not leave the country.



"We do not prod our nationals on leaving Lebanon until now because the situation in calm," he said.



Separately, Mikati chaired a meeting devoted to discuss the security situation in Tripoli and to beef up the work of the security and administrative authorities to clinch stability and calm in the northern city.



The meeting included ministers, security chiefs, and a panel of concerned figures.



Mikati also met today with Deputy Prime Minister Samir Moqbel, and caretaker Minister of Finance, Mohammad Safadi.


============R.A.H.