Lavrov, Kerry discuss Mideast by phone

MOSCOW, Dec 15 (KUNA) -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have had phone talks on a settlement for the Middle East conflict, it was announced on Monday.
A statement by the Foreign Ministry only said the talks focused on issues of settling the conflict, but did not elaborate.
Escalation between Israel and the Palestinians features high on the agenda of Lavrov-Kerry talks in Rome on Sunday, together with developments in Syria, Iran's nuclear power and Ukraine. They also discussed bilateral talks.
Meanwhile, Lavrov told Interfax in an interview that Russia had the right to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea.
Crimea has now become part of a country that has such weapons under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, he said.
Crimea has never been a "nuclear-free zone" in the sense of international law, he added.
Up to 96.77 percent of Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation in a referendum held last March. (end) as.msa