President Vladimir Putin: Dear Mr Hariri,
I am very happy to meet you. I am happy to meet with you, for a start, because you are the son of a man who I knew very well and for whom I had great respect, and you also represent one of the leading political forces of a country with which Russia has longstanding ties of friendship and cooperation.
Welcome.
Saad Hariri (translated from Russian): Thank you, Your Excellency, for the warm welcome given to my family and the warm words you have accorded my country. My father, Rafik Hariri, always valued the special relationship between our countries and spoke in favour of strengthening and developing the friendship and cooperation between Lebanon and Russia.
Vladimir Putin: I think we will have the opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and to examine the situation in the Middle East.
Saad Hariri: We believe that our region is going through a very particular period at the moment and this makes it vital to exchange views on developments taking place there.
Vladimir Putin: I pass on warm greetings from your friend, French President Jacques Chirac. I spoke with him on the phone yesterday and he knew that you were flying here on a visit today.
Saad Hariri: President Chirac always was and will remain a friend of the Arab nations. He was also a personal friend of my father, so I am grateful to you for passing on these greetings from the French President.