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Lavrov confirms Russian support to Arab monitoring mission in Syria

The interlocutors “discussed the situation in Syria and the role of the LAS observation mission in its stabilization"

MOSCOW, January 10 (Itar-Tass) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed the Russian support to the efforts of the Arab mission in Syria in a telephone conversation with League of Arab States (LAS) Secretary General Nabil Elaraby on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.

The interlocutors “discussed the situation in Syria and the role of the LAS observation mission in its stabilization,” the ministry said. “In this light Nabil Elaraby informed the minister in detail about the results of the Cairo meeting of the LAS special committee on January 8,” it said.

“The Russian side confirmed support to the efforts of the mission of Arab observers in Syria and lauded the results of the Cairo meeting,” the ministry said. “Lavrov accentuated the need for the immediate end of violence in Syria, no matter what side it might be coming from. He emphasized that the primary focus of the observation mission in Syria should be not only the fulfillment of the commitments assumed by the Syrian authorities but also the subversive operations of the armed groups, from which the opposition must resolutely separate itself in the interests of a broad national dialog envisaged by the LAS Initiative,” the ministry said.

The sides “also discussed the developments in the Middle East, including the efforts of the Middle East mediating quartet was taking with the assistance of Jordan to unblock the substantive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in keeping with the New York statement of the quartet issued on September 23, 2011,” it said.

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