NEW YORK, January 22. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in New York, where he will participate in meetings of the UN Security Council on the Middle East and Ukraine.

According to a TASS correspondent, the minister's plane flew from Moscow to the United States via the northern route, bypassing unfriendly nations, in 12 hours 45 minutes.

Russian journalists accompanying Lavrov on the trip received US visas without a 25-mile travel restriction, as was the case in September during the UN General Assembly session. According to TASS correspondent, all representatives of the Russian media were issued a single-entry Type I journalist visa before departure. Their visas are valid until April.

Earlier, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told TASS that Lavrov will visit New York from January 22 to 24 to participate in person in the UN Security Council debates on the Middle East and a meeting on Ukraine. A number of bilateral meetings are also expected.