LOC15:53
12:53 GMT
MOSCOW, Aug 21 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his visiting Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Monday agreed to work together in order to create a weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-free Middle East.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Shoukry, Lavrov said Moscow and Cairo would continue working together to make Middle East free of WMDs as per relevant international resolutions.
He added that both sides had also vowed to pursue cooperation in fighting terrorism and drying out terror finance sources.
Lavrov noted that they had discussed a possible resumption of flights between both countries in the near future.
The Russian foreign minister went on to say that his country was making consultations with several parties, including Saudi Arabia, for forming a Syrian opposition delegation during scheduled talks with the Syrian government.
He pointed to preparations and arrangements for holding an international meeting on Syria in Astana next September.
On his part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said he had handed a letter from Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on willingness to develop bilateral relations.
He added that he had discussed with his Russian counterpart the current developments in the Middle East region, primarily Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
Shoukry noted that his country would support de-escalation zones in Syria, but would not send any army or police forces there. (end)
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