In order to address the Middle East, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his counterparts from Iran, Turkey, and Lebanon on Tuesday before the UN Security Council meeting, according to the Russian foreign ministry.
The topics of discussion at the bilateral discussions were “the tense situation” in the Red Sea, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, the ministry said on Tuesday via the messaging app Telegram. On Monday, the meetings were held in New York.
Lavrov and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, reached a consensus, according to the ministry, about the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the prerequisites for delivering humanitarian supplies to people.
“General concern was expressed about the tense situation in the Red Sea, which has sharply degraded,” it said.
On Monday, the United States and Britain carried out an additional round of strikes against Yemen’s Houthis over their targeting of Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said.
Lavrov and Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib talked about the importance of collective efforts of countries in the region toward an immediate ceasefire, the ministry said.
Israel in recent days carried out reportedly the most intense bombardment in southern Gaza since the war began in October, prompting calls from Washington to protect innocent people in hospitals, medical staff and patients.
According to the UN agenda, the Security Council is to discuss “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”
Lavrov said on Thursday he will propose “collective efforts” at the meeting to solve the Middle East crisis.
With his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Lavrov also discussed energy issues as well as “upcoming bilateral contacts.”
In December, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit Turkey in early 2024.
Via Firstpost World Latest News https://ift.tt/2R4NhtO
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