Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov meets Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria Walid Muallem
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Syrian Arab Republic Walid Muallem on 22 June 2012 "on the margins" of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The discussions of the Russian and Syrian ministers focused on the dangerous situation developing in Syria and around it. Lavrov briefed Muallem on the efforts of the Russian side in order to foster a favorable environment for achieving a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis on the basis of compliance by all parties to the UN Security Council approved Kofi Annan plan. It is also the goal of the Russian initiative of convening an international conference on Syria. Moscow confirmed its strong commitment to the principles of inter-Syrian resolution of the crisis through political and diplomatic means, without foreign interference in the constitutional framework through dialogue and political process, the contents of which should be determined by the Syrians.
Lavrov stressed the need for full compliance by the Syrian leadership with its obligations under the Kofi Annan plan. Obviously, the same requirements apply to all groups of the opposition.
Muallem praised the consistent policy of the Russian Federation aimed at supporting the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, respect for Syrian citizens' political will. He praised Russia's ideas in the context of an international search for ways to promote the cessation of bloodshed and the normalization of the situation in Syria, change the mode of the developments in the country from confrontation to dialogue between authorities and opposition. The Syrian minister assured that Damascus will continue to implement the Kofi Annan plan and co-operate with the United Nations Observer Mission in Syria.
Question (addressed to US Secretary of State John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov): After your recent discussions, including on Syria and the episode of detention of a US Embassy official in Moscow on a charge of espionage, do you think that your collective work is constructive? Sergey Lavrov (answers after John Kerry): Regarding the incident of the detention of a US Embassy official in Moscow that you have mentioned, everything, that the Russian party wished to say about it, was said yesterday in the comment of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. I have nothing to add.
Dear Mr Chairman,Dear colleagues, friends, First of all, I would like to thank our Swedish hosts for their hospitality, good organization of the today’s meeting and to congratulate Mr Carl Bildt with the results that were reached by the Arctic Council under Swedish chairmanship.
Today we sign the second in history legally binding panarctic document – Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic. This is another evidence of high responsibility of Arctic countries for the state of affairs in the region. The next is the preparation of the Agreement on Marine Oil Spill Prevention.
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