Kerry Meets Lavrov in Malaysia: Syria on Top of Talks

Local Editor

US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet for a second time in three days Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has been trying to bring about a rapprochement between Syria and regional states to forge an alliance to fight "ISIL" militants.

Kerry and Lavrov would "discuss a range of issues of mutual concern" at the meeting in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, a senior official of the US State Department said without elaborating.

Kerry, in Malaysia for meetings of the Association of South East Asian Nations, held trilateral talks with Lavrov and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on the war in Syria in Qatar Monday.

Russia has been trying to bring about rapprochement between the Syrian government and regional states including Saudi Arabia and Turkey to forge an alliance to fight "ISIL" militants who have taken large amounts of territory in Syria's civil war.

A senior State Department official said that at the Qatar meeting Kerry, Jubeir and Lavrov "acknowledged the need for a political solution to the conflict and the important role to be played by opposition groups in reaching that solution."

In calling for wider international cooperation to fight the "ISIL" group, Russia says gains on the ground by the terrorist group meant even those who oppose the Syrian government should now join ranks with Damascus to fight the common enemy.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the formation of a "wide anti-terrorist front" had been one of the main themes of the Kerry-Lavrov-Jubeir talks.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem arrived in Tehran Tuesday for talks with officials from Iran and Russia that were expected to focus on efforts to end the country's war.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team