MOSCOW, September 01. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday the bloody conflict in Syria could not be settled by force.
The crisis in Syria could be resolved only by political and diplomatic means, Lavrov said in a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov and Muallem "exchanged views on possible formats for resuming the inter-Syrian talks".
"The Syrian foreign minister confirmed Damascus' readiness to coordinate counter-terrorism measures with the international community in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2170," the ministry said.
Lavrov and Muallem also discussed the latest events in Syria in light of the growing threat of terrorism and the aggressive actions of the Islamic State militants.
The UN sources in Beirut said the armed conflict had a negative impact on the economic situation in Syria. More than half of the population are below the poverty line. Unemployment has increased up to 50% over the last three years.