Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on political and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries. After signing the document in Moscow, the two officials held a round of talks on means of developing and activating Iraqi-Russian relations and exchanged views on regional and international developments, and the Syrian crisis, an Iraqi foreign ministry statement said. The two sides agreed on the necessity to end violence and finding a political solution for the deteriorating crisis in the country. Zebari also asked for Russia’s assistance in removing Iraq from the provisions of Chapter VII.