MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha spoke in favor of the earliest possible start of serious negotiations on the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said after the meeting.

The meeting of the Russian foreign minister and OIC Secretary General took place in Riyadh on the sidelines of the 7th Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Russian-Gulf Strategic Dialogue. "During the conversation, special emphasis was placed on the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone. The parties spoke in favor of an early cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and the beginning of serious negotiations in order to achieve a comprehensive Middle East settlement based on the decisions of the UN and its Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

It noted that the sides confirmed their mutual willingness to further develop and strengthen cooperation between Russia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in various fields.