Lavrov to Kerry: Necessary Efforts for Political Solution to Syria Crisis

MOSCOW, (ST)_ In a telephone call with his US counterpart John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed the need that parties involved must make necessary efforts to find a political settlement to Syria crisis.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that Kerry assured Minister Lavrov his support for the forthcoming Moscow meeting on the Syrian crisis.

Earlier on Monday, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute at the Russian Academy for Sciences Professor Vitaly Naumkin, ewho is also coordinator of the inter -Syrian consultative meeting due in Moscow said  that the US announced through its foreign minister that it not against Moscow meeting between representatives of the government and the opposition, when he emphasized Washington acceptance of the meeting, noting some hope that the US may change its policy in case the meeting proves success.

The statement added that the two sides pointed to the importance of peace initiatives proposed by the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, including those aimed at finalizing local reconciliations.

On the other hand, the Russian Foreign statement, which was published on Russia Today (RT) website indicated that the phone call which came at the initiative of the American side dealt with most important issues pertinent to Russian-US relations.

T. Fateh