MOSCOW (Ruptly) — Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri in Moscow, Thursday.

Hariri told Mishustin that Lebanon needs foreign investments once the country’s political and economic problems are solved:

We will need external assistance to implement these reforms. In this regard, we would like to count on investment from Russian companies in such areas as energy, infrastructure, transport.

Mishustin in his turn noted the decrease in Russia-Lebanon bilateral trade:

We would like to give a new impulse to our trade and economic cooperation. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus infection, our mutual trade has decreased by 28%, even 38%, to about $320 mln we have now. Of course, we are not satisfied with this situation. It is necessary to fix it, to increase mutual trade.

The two also discussed the increase in COVID-19 vaccines supply to Lebanon from Russia.

Hariri was appointed prime minister in October last year but has been unable to form a new government, and therefore pass reforms needed to secure debt relief and aid from overseas.