Russia to cooperate with AL on Mideast disputes

BEIRUT - Russia is willing to cooperate constructively with the Arab League (AL) to peacefully resolve the disputes in the Middle East and North Africa, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said here Wednesday.

Russia supports the mission of former UN chief Kofi Annan in his capacity as special UN-AL envoy to Syria, and was committed to improving the humanitarian situation in Syria, said Zasypkin after meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

He said all Syrian parties' voices should be listened to, including those who voted for a new Syrian constitution in the referendum held on Feb 26 this year.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), Zasypkin and Mansour exchanged their opinions on the issues to be discussed at the meeting between Russian foreign minister and his AL counterparts in Cairo on Saturday.

Zasypkin said that the priority of the Cairo meeting would be the Syrian situation and the ministers would call on all parties concerned to cease violence as soon as possible and to hold a dialogue unconditionally.

He also suggested that the meeting keep in line with an initiative the Arab League adopted on November 2, 2011.