On March, 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold negotiations with Italian FM Paolo Gentiloni.
"On April 1, in accordance with the earlier achieved agreement in Moscow, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of Serbia Ivica Dacic is scheduled to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov," Zakharova told reporters.
"The talks lasted for almost four hours. They were focused on the consideration of bilateral issues, as well as topical issues of the international agenda. Russia-US relations, and the topical issues and matters on the agenda were discussed," Zakharova said at a news briefing.
The spokeswoman added that the top diplomats touched upon the Ukraine crisis and the Syrian reconciliation.
On Yemen
We strongly believe that only political dialogue based on UN principles may help to restore peace in Yemen, Maria Zakharova said. Russia ready to assist peace settlement in the country.
On Bourbon Linberty
The Russian Foreign Ministry has refuted reports alleging the death of a Russian citizen during a pirate attack on a supply vessel in Nigerian waters in late February, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
On February 23, pirates attacked the Bourbon Liberty 251 offshore supply vessel in the Niger delta, kidnapping two crew members.
"We are continuing to monitor the situation with the Russian national captured by pirates in Nigerian territorial waters along with another French Bourbon Liberty 251 vessel crew member on February 23. Information about his alleged death occurring during the attack on the ship, which was recently broadcast by various Russian and foreign media, has not been confirmed by the Russian embassy in Nigeria," Zakharova told reporters.
"According to the available information, a shipowner representative spoke to the Russian national on March 20. The Russian embassy in Abuja will offer any possible assistance towards the quickest possible release of Russian sailors," the spokeswoman added.
On Obama' visit to Cuba
"It's a sign of normalization of relations between the two countrie," Maria Zakharova told journalists. "We believe that improvement of relations will be based on mutual respect."
"The absolute priority is to lift the trade, economic and financial blockade, including the unilateral US sanctions," she told a briefing on Thursday.
The spokeswoman pointed out that Moscow supports Cuba’s call for progressive, irreversible dynamics of the relations between Cuba and the United States and stressed that they should be developing on an equal footing.
She added that Moscow remained committed to the further development of the Russian-Cuban relations that have "necessary potential for further expansion across the range of areas of cooperation."
On EU-Turkey summit
The arrangements between EU and Turkey are related to the EU and Turkey.
On Syria
According to Zakharova, Moscow has questions about the recent comments made by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that following the EU summit "tried once again to promote controversial Ankara's initiative to establish in the territory of the sovereign Syrian state a so-called no-fly zone."
"Turkey should abandon the idea of the no-fly zone in Syria," Zakharova told journalinsts. "Turkey should left its attmpts…Especially without official accord of Syrian government."
Russian Citizens Abroad
Russian Foreign Ministry is launching special Facebook account where Russian citizens who travveling abroad can left their feedback about Russian emassies' work abroad.
On US media
This publications blame Russia of malevolence because "we talked about the reasons behind the attacks shortly after the incident," Zakharova said.
"But when we talk about joint efforts against terrorism other time nobody hear us," she added. "NATO refuses to maintain full-fledged dialogue with Russia on fight against terrorism ignoring that terrorism is a threat to all."
By refusing to maintain a fully-pledged dialogue with Russia on counter-terrorism, NATO is ignoring the fact that terrorism is a threat to all, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
"Every EU citizen, every citizen of NATO member countries…must realize that this organization refuses to maintain a fully-fledged dialogue [with Russia] on counter-terrorism," ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing.
"Terrorism cannot be defeated by unilateral efforts or by regional alliances. The fact that the most recent terrorist attack took place in Brussels is a challenge not only to NATO, it is a challenge to all, including us [Russia] and the Middle East region," Zakharova stressed.
"What happened in Brussels it's a challenge for all the world. The terrorist attack was carried out near the European and US HQ's," the spokeswoman continued. "You should understand that without cooperation in fighting terrorism there will be no succes, changing avatars in social media would not help."
