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Conflict in Syria

Russia’s Lavrov, US Kerry to meet on January 13 over Iran’s participation in Geneva-2

The two foreign ministers are to meet in Paris

© EPA/ИТАР-ТАСС/OLIVIER HOSLET

UNITED NATIONS, January 06, 22:02 /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on January 13 to discuss Iran’s role in a forthcoming peace conference on Syria, U.N. Secretary-General’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists on Monday.

According to earlier reports, the two foreign ministers are to meet in Paris.

Meanwhile, Farhan Haq said that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was in favour of inviting Iran to take part in the peace conference but the final decision on that matter was up to the initiators of this conference - Russia and the United States. According to Haq, later in the day the United Nations will come out with a statement on the situation over invitations to this forum.

The conference, originally scheduled to take place in Geneva, will now be held in two parts, with the opening session in Montreux, and, after a day’s break, moving on January 24 to the world body’s headquarters in Geneva. The conference will bring the Syrian government and the opposition to a negotiating table for the first time since the conflict started in March 2011.

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Foreign policy Geneva II

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