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Two Rounds Of International Syria Talks Set For Weekend


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

The United States and Russia have announced two days of talks on the Syrian conflict over the weekend.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Switzerland on October 16.

A second international meeting will take place on October 17 in London that will not include Russia.

The October 16 meeting will be the first between the two sides since Washington broke off bilateral diplomatic contact with Moscow this month following the collapse of a cease-fire in Syria.

Kerry will attend both meetings to discuss "a multilateral approach to resolving the crisis in Syria, including a sustained cessation of violence and the resumption of humanitarian-aid deliveries," White House spokesman John Kirby said.

The October 17 talks will likely to see Kerry briefing his European counterparts.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov and Kerry will hold talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne aimed at "creating the conditions for the resolution of the Syrian crisis" alongside top diplomats from "key countries in the region."

In an interview on October 12, Lavrov said that talks should include Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and possibly Qatar.

The meeting comes amid tensions between Moscow and Washington over the Syrian conflict after Russia launched air strikes in the rebel-held eastern Aleppo, prompting the collapse of the cease-fire.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

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