MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf, stressed the need for coordinated efforts within the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to cease hostilities in the Gaza Strip, the Russian foreign ministry said after their meeting in New York.

"The sides exchanged views on current issues on the international and regional agenda with a focus on the unprecedented escalation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," the ministry said. "Special attention was paid to coordinating efforts within the UN Security Council and General Assembly aimed at a ceasefire and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip."

According to the ministry, the two top diplomats also discussed further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries in the spirit of the agreements that were reached during Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune‘s state visit to Russia from June 13 to 17, 2023.