Fie Photo (archive)

MOSCOW – Russia has spoken out against foreign interference in Lebanese affairs following the surprise resignation of the Lebanon's prime minister. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday at a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Gibran Bassil, that "Russia invariably stands for supporting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon." He added that the crisis should be settled internally in Lebanon, without foreign interference, and through dialogue. Bassil is visiting world capitals as part of a tour to clarify Lebanon's position following Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's surprise resignation in a Nov. 4 broadcast from Saudi Arabia, which has thrown the small country into turmoil. The resignation of Saudi-aligned Hariri was seen by some as engineered by Riyadh, raising concerns that it could drag Lebanon into a battle for regional supremacy.