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Conflict in Syria

Lavrov, Kerry discuss Minsk agreements, situation in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen

Lavrov also called attention to the need to end the US-heated intentional anti-Russian campaign in Western media, the Russian Foreign Ministry said

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry Alexandr Sherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry

© Alexandr Sherbak/TASS

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MOSCOW, March 10./TASS/. In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the situation in Syria, problems in the implementation of the Minsk agreements, as well as the situation in Lebanon and in Yemen, the Foreign Ministry said.

It said the two diplomats "continued and extensive discussion on ways to settle the Syrian conflict on the basis of resolutions 2254 and 2268 of the UN Security Council, activity under the co-chairmanship of Russia and the US of the International Syria Support Group and its target groups," it said.

"The minister and the state secretary exchanged assessments as to the course of implementation of agreements on cessation of hostilities between the conflicting parties in Syria with the exception of fight against terrorists," it said.

"A need was emphasized to further deepen Russian-American military coordination with an aim to assist in observance of the ceasefire terms and expand humanitarian access to the population of the blocked regions," the ministry said.

"The interlocutors expressed hope that the upcoming negotiations in Geneva between the Syrian government and the entire range of the opposition under the UN aegis will proceeded in strict compliance with the demands to ensure inclusiveness of the intra-Syrian dialog and interests of all ethnic and confessional layers," it said.

The diplomats discussed "support for UN efforts towards an end to a war in Yemen and start of negotiations on a political settlement in that country". "They discussed some other issues on the international agenda, including the situation in Lebanon and problems in the implementation of the Minsk agreements for ending the Ukrainian crisis, as well as certain aspects of bilateral relations," the ministry said.

"Sergey Lavrov called attention to the need to end the US-heated intentional anti-Russian campaign in Western media which is not contributing at all to practical interaction in directions representing reciprocal interest," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

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