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Lavrov warns Kerry against bringing US’ domestic agenda to UN SC

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stressed the necessity of creating conditions for direct talks between the leaders of Israel and Palestine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Alexander Scherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

© Alexander Scherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Attempts to use the Middle East Quartet and the United Nations Security Council is bickering between the Democrats and the Republicans are harmful, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday.

"The two top diplomats exchanged views on the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement and around it. Lavrov stressed the necessity of creating conditions for direct talks between the leaders of Israel and Palestine and warned against bringing US’ domestic agenda into the work of the Middle East Quartet and the United Nations Security Council. He stressed that attempts to use these formats in bickering between the Democrats and Republicans are harmful," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Lavrov also told Kerry that the Barack Obama administration’s attempts to further wreck Russia-U.S. cooperation were unacceptable.

"Touching on bilateral relations, the Russian minister once again stressed the inadmissibility of the Barack Obama administration’s course to further undermine the basics of normal cooperation between Russia and the United States," the ministry said.

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Russian diplomat says restoration of Russia-US ties will be long and difficult

Lavrov also said that if Washington eased restrictions on supplying portable air defense systems to the Syrian armed opposition groups, tensions could increase.

"The parties discussed the ways to settle the Syrian crisis in the light of the agreements reached at the recent trilateral meeting between the Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers, aimed at ensuring ceasefire across Syria and stepping up the war on terror," the statement reads. "Lavrov pointed out that if Washington eased restrictions on arming Syrian rebels, so that portable air defense systems could be provided to them, tensions may increase as well as the death toll."

Lavrov and Kerry had their 70th in 2016 telephone conversation to discuss the situation in Syria and the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The two tops diplomats also discussed the situation in Libya and Yemen.

The conversation was initiated by the American side.

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Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov John Kerry Palestine Israel

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