Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister exchanged views on the situation in Syria. The Secretary-General emphasized that the coming weeks were crucial in advancing a political process through intra-Syrian talks on the basis of his Special Envoy's “Mediator's summary”, particularly in view of the shared sense of urgency given the August deadline set by the ISSG co-chairs. Both agreed it was important to meanwhile ensure a conducive environment for these talks by urgently addressing the situation on the ground.

The Secretary-General and the Minister further agreed on the need to support the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to Yemen to ensure a cessation of hostilities. They also discussed recent developments related to the Middle East Peace Process. On Libya, the Secretary-General reiterated the importance of international unity in support of the Libyan Political Agreement.

St. Petersburg, 16 June 2016