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Conflict in Syria

Operation in Syria nearing completion — Russian defense minister

Sergey Shoigu stressed the need to discuss the prospects of the situation in Syria

© AP Photo/Max Black

TEL AVIV, October 16. /TASS/. The operation in Syria is nearing completion so some issues should be tackled immediately, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman in Tel Aviv on Monday.

"I would particularly like to discuss everything connected to Syria," Shoigu said. "The operation there is nearing completion and some issues need to be tackled immediately, while the prospects for the situation in Syria also need to be discussed," he added.

According to the Russian defense minister, there are a lot of issues to be discussed at the Monday meeting. "Apart from issues related to our military and technical cooperation, the fight against terrorism and the situation in the region will top the agenda," he noted.

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Conditions for defeating terrorists, returning to peaceful life in Syria created — Lavrov

Shoigu suggested that a number of issues concerning the situation in the Middle East be considered. "As terrorist activities in the world have been growing, the global community needs to close ranks to fight against this scourge," he said expressing confidence that the talks "will help us understand each other better and boost friendly relations between the armed forces of Russia and Israel."

The Russian defense minister thanked his Israeli counterpart for participating in the Sixth Moscow Conference on International Security held on April 26-27, as well as for the constructive dialogue on pressing regional security issues, which took place on the sidelines of the conference. "We hope to see you at the next Moscow Conference that we will hold in April 2018. We will definitely send you an invitation," Shoigu said addressing Lieberman.

According to the Russian minister, the Moscow Conference on International Security has become a platform "for a frank exchange of views on a broad range of global issues."

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