Syrian conference must convene, says Lavrov

Moscow urges the avoidance of steps that could prevent the convening of the conference on Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated after talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

"We have a common understanding that it is necessary to avoid steps that could prevent the convening of the conference on Syria," he told reporters.

"We refer to steps such as the forced vote in the UN General Assembly on a resolution in which the opposition forces accused the government of being solely responsible for the situation in the country and for violations of international humanitarian law," Lavrov said.

Today's meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and the United States was the sixth this year.

During the Moscow round of negotiations, the parties managed to reach an agreement on convening an international conference on Syria, the so-called "Geneva 2" conference.