DAMASCUS, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov starts on Saturday a tree-day Middle East tour, which will take him to Syria and Lebanon.
The diplomat is expected to discuss the Middle East conflict settlement and the prospects for holding a Middle East peace conference in Moscow.
In Beirut, Saltanov is scheduled to meet with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, senior government and parliament officials, prime minister designate Saad al-Hariri and former prime minister Fouad Siniora.
In Damascus, the Russian diplomat will hold talks will Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem.
Russia, as part of the Middle East Quartet of mediators, which also includes the U.S., the UN and the European Union, actively participates in the efforts aimed at the resumption of the peace process in the region.
