MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry exchanged opinions on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as they called for an immediate ceasefire there, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported following the two top diplomats’ meeting on the sidelines of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum underway in Marrakesh.

The two foreign ministers "laid a special emphasis on the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement. They "urged the need to broker a ceasefire as soon as possible and launch talks under international law norms and the existing resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council," the Russian diplomatic agency added.

Lavrov expressed his gratitude to Shoukry for assistance in ensuring the safe evacuation of Russian citizens from the enclave.

"The ministers also discussed efforts to resolve the crises and conflicts in Yemen, Libya, Syria and Lebanon," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

In addition, the two diplomats discussed boosting the comprehensive cooperation between Russia and Egypt, including maintaining the active political dialogue and interaction at BRICS, the United Nations and other international venues.