MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet in Moscow on August 21 with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Hassan Shoukry to discuss the settlement in Syria, Libya and Yemen, as well as fight against terrorism, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"The foreign ministers will continue an exchange of opinions on a broad range of issues on the international and regional agenda in continuation of the talks between the defense and foreign ministers in the 2+2 format held in Cairo on May 29," she said.

Lavrov and Shoukry will also look into topical aspects related to the strengthening of Russian-Egyptian relations. "Egypt remains one of the leading partners of the Russian Federation in the region," Zakharova noted. "Our countries are linked by years-long traditions of friendship, mutually advantageous cooperation, proximity and coincidence of approaches on key international and regional issues," the diplomat added.

"Special focus in the talks will be on the settlement of crisis situations in the Middle East and in North Africa, including in Syria, Libya and Yemen," she stressed. "Plans are to focus much attention on countering new challenges and threats that countries of that region are facing at the present stage, with an accent on pulling efforts in fight against terrorism and extremism," Zakharova said.

"The sides will also consider ways to reduce the level of confrontation potentials in that region, including prospects for creating in the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction," she added. "Of course, they will consider in depth the tasks of unblocking the Palestinian-Israeli settlement," she summed up.