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UN Secretary-General discusses Syria agreements with Lavrov, Kerry

They discussed the recent statements on Syria made during the Secretary of State’s visit to Moscow

UNITED NATIONS, May 10 (Itar-Tass) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had telephone conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, May 9, to discuss the agreements on Syria reached at their meeting in Moscow on May 7.

“They discussed the recent statements on Syria made during the Secretary of State’s visit to Moscow. The Secretary-General commended both men for their leadership and initiative,” Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, said.

At their talks in Moscow on Tuesday, May 7, Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to hold an international conference on the basis of the Geneva Communique of June 30, 2012, in order to try to overcome the crisis in Syria.

Lavrov and Kerry said that their countries would encourage both the Syrian government and opposition groups to look for a political solution.

“The Secretary-General strongly encourages all parties to seize this opportunity. The United Nations and the Joint Special Representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, will intensify efforts on this matter,” Nesirky said.

After the separate telephone conversations with Kerry and Lavrov, Ban also talked with the Joint Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. He stressed that “the United Nations stands ready to play its role in helping to bring about a peaceful settlement.”

More than 70,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed, and some 3 million displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011, the United Nations said.

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