Lavrov, Fahmy to discuss Syria, Arab-Israeli peace process

The situation in the Middle East and in Syria, and Syrian chemical weapons will be the central subjects of discussion during a meeting between Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart, Nabil Fahmy, who arrived here for a two-day working visit. The two Ministers will also discuss the state of affairs in Egypt itself following the changeover of the top leadership of the country in July. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said the upcoming meeting will enable the two sides attentively to consider thetaksoresuming intheRepublic thepropolitical process "whichis expected toensure a steady functioning of state bodies to secure a proper level of protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the country's citizens". "Moscow proceeds from the ability of the Egyptian people independently and without an external interference to determine their future through a nationawide dialogue," the Ministry official said. The Ministers are to touch upon the most important aspects of the bilateral agenda. "Egypt is one of Russia's foremost partners in the Arab world," the Ministry official pointed out. "Our two countries are securely brought together by long-standing relations of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation based on genuine resppect for the interests of each other". The sides are expected to map out "basic orienatations for joint work to further the development of foreign-policy interaction and promote the entire set of bilateral ties". Moscow "is interested in the maintenance of the active and influential role of Cairo in international, Middle Eastern and African affairs," the Russian Foreign Ministry official emphasized.