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Lavrov to attend UN Syria debate

Also on Monday Lavrov will have bilateral meetings with Ban and Clinton

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will participate on Monday in a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council which will discuss Arab Spring developments and the situation in Syria.

On Saturday Russia and the League of Arab States (LAS) agreed five principles of a peaceful settlement in Syria at a meeting in Cairo. A joint statement called to end violence from all sides, introduce an impartial monitoring mechanism, prevent external interference, provide for unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all Syrians, and support the peace-making mission of U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

Lavrov will also participate in a meeting of the Middle East Quartet in the UN headquarters jointly with UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Quartet special envoy Tony Blair will join the discussion through a TV linkup.

Also on Monday Lavrov will have bilateral meetings with Ban and Clinton.

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