MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed conflicts in the Middle East and bilateral cooperation at a meeting in Moscow with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, according to the text of Lavrov’s opening speech at the talks, as posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website on Wednesday.

In opening the talks, Lavrov said that Russia and the Arab League may hold a ministerial meeting in the next few months. "Apart from bilateral cooperation, regional and international issues stand high on the agenda. We are witnessing how the situation in the region is changing, primarily with regard to the restoration of the rights of the Syrian Arab Republic in the Arab League," according to Lavrov. Russia’s top diplomat pledged further support for what he noted was a positive trend in the Arab community at the next Arab League-Russia meeting.

Commenting on the Syrian peace process, Lavrov said that Moscow would push for fair agreements based on the UN Security Council resolution. "These include the restoration of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and the elimination of the terrorist threat. We have been cooperating actively with you across all these domains," Lavrov assured his guest.

Among protracted conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, the Russian foreign minister singled out the Palestinian problem as he said the so-called Middle East peace process had not only been stalled, but that rather there had been a setback from the principles approved at meetings of the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Lavrov pointed to efforts being made by Moscow and Damascus in the context of safeguarding the principles of the UN’s work. He also expressed confidence that meetings with his Syrian counterpart and Kremlin talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian leader Bashar Assad to be held later on Wednesday would take the two countries’ strategic partnership to a higher level.