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Lavrov and Shoigu to discuss Syrian and Iranian issues in Washington August 9

Special attention will be paid to missile defence, which remains one of the key irritants in bilateral relations
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, August 7 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will meet their counterparts in Washington on August 9 for talks on missile defence, the situation in Syria and Iran’s nuclear problem, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday.

“Special attention will be paid to missile defence, which remains one of the key irritants in bilateral relations. We hope that America will be ready for a serious and constructive dialogue in order to take mutually advantageous decisions on this issue,” the report says.

Both parties are expected to discuss prospects for further cooperation in arms control, space security and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as military cooperation. “We’ll exchange views on major regional issues, including the situation in Syria in order to assess progress in implementing the agreements to hold the international conference on the Syrian political settlement, the Geneva-2 conference. In addition, the talks will focus on the situation in Afghanistan within the upcoming withdrawal of international forces, as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Iran’s nuclear programme,” the report says.

On August 8, Lavrov will make a brief stopover in New York for a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to synchronize positions on the resolution of pressing global issues. “The parties are planning to discuss prospects for the settlement of the situation in Syria and the Middle East,” the report says.

“Russia will consistently favour the U.N. central and coordinating role to work out the approaches towards resolving global issues in the field of security, development and human rights and their inter-relations,” the report says.