Russian Foreign Ministry Confirms Lavrov, Kerry to Discuss Syria in Lausanne

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry will meet in the Swiss city of Lausanne this Saturday to set out steps needed to bring peace to Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday adding that the foreign ministers from the key Middle Eastern states would participate in the meeting.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The meeting will bring together foreign policy chiefs from other key regional powers who will "consider possible additional steps aimed at creating conditions for a Syrian crisis settlement."

"As previously agreed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry, a ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Lausanne on October 15," the ministry’s statement read.

Russia’s Lavrov told US media earlier today that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar were likely to participate. He said Moscow and Washington sought to engage countries that had direct influence on what was going on on the ground in Syria.