MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Executive Director for the UN World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley discussed issues of cooperation in the area of assistance to Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, Ethiopia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday after their telephone conversation.

"The sides exchanged views on the current humanitarian situation and closer cooperation between Russia and WFP in terms of rendering food assistance to Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, Ethiopia, and to people in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone," it said.

Apart from that, the sides noted the necessity of invigorating international efforts in hunger reduction in East Africa amid possible food shortages due to the pandemic restrictions. "The sides noted the importance of rendering assistance to the countries in need without preliminary political conditions," the ministry said.

Lavrov and Beasley also discussed preparations for a UN summit on food systems that is scheduled to be held in New York City in September.

The conversation was initiated by the WFP director.