Lavrov begins work at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is beginning his work at the 68th session of the UN General Assembly. The minister has a very busy schedule. The search for ways to resolve the Syrian crisis on the basis of previously reached Russian-American agreements will be continued on Tuesday during bilateral contacts with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, the UN and Arab League Special Representative on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. The Syrian issues will be most likely discussed also at the minister’s meetings with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer. In addition, Lavrov plans talks on Tuesday with the head of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas and President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades. During the UN General Assembly in the next few days the Russian foreign minister will take part in a meeting of foreign ministers of the BRICS countries, in a meeting of the international Quartet of mediators on the Middle East settlement, in a meeting of the group of the six key nations on the Iranian nuclear programme. The Russian delegation will also take part in the events that will focus on the nuclear disarmament issues and on a number of important security matters. “Two high-level meetings - on the prevention of the spread of small and light arms and on the situation in Yemen will be held under the chairmanship of Australia,” the RF Foreign Ministry informed. “Our steps at the UN forum will be aimed at enhancing Russia’s authority and protecting its interests in the international arena,” the ministry said. “In line with the course against the spread of the arms race into outer space, we intend to promote the traditional initiative on transparency and confidence-building measures in space, will help to ensure international information security. As before, we will be actively opposing attempts to falsify history.” The regular session of the UN General Assembly opened in New York on September 17. The Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN, John W. Ashe, was elected President of the Assembly.