Lebanese Premier Invites Russian Counterpart

Rafiq Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, invited Mikhail Kasyanov, his Russian counterpart, for a visit. "We'll be meeting in Lebanon," he said, without specifying a day, to a joint news conference which summed up negotiations on the Russian government premises. Mr. Hariri is not sure any of Russian federal leaders has ever visited his country after it gained independence, he added. His Moscow contacts give reason to be sure of improvements in bilateral economic and political contacts to both countries' benefit, said the visitor.