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Top German diplomat calls for cooperation with Russia to resolve crises around the world

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for diplomatic efforts aimed at deescalating the situation in Libya

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas

© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

BERLIN, January 11. /TASS/. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said that Russia’s role is crucial for resolving the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine. His interview with the Funke media group was published on Saturday.

Maas who will accompany German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her visit to Moscow on Saturday called for diplomatic efforts aimed at deescalating the situation in Libya.

"To do so, we need to bring the countries, which have influence there, particularly Russia, to the negotiating table. We also need to talk with Moscow, a party to the Iran nuclear deal, about how to preserve these agreements and avoid new escalation in the Persian Gulf. In addition, we will focus on how to make progress in implementing the Minsk agreements for the sake of peace in eastern Ukraine and on Syria, of course. In a word, we need dialogue with Russia to resolve crises in our neighborhood," Maas said.

According to the minister, the US-Iran standoff complicates the situation in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, tense as it is.

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