Russian, US foreign ministers set to discuss Syria, Ukraine in Washington

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be traveling to the US to meet with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

According to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday, Lavrov will be in Washington between May 9 and May 11 for a working visit.

“The talks with the US secretary of state, during which an exchange of opinions on key international problems and pressing issues in bilateral relations is expected to take place, are scheduled in Washington on May 10. After that, Sergey Lavrov will participate in the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Fairbanks (Alaska),” read the statement.

The meeting has also been confirmed by the US State Department which noted that the crisis in Ukraine and the conflict in Syria are high on the talks' agenda.

"On Syria, the Secretary intends to discuss efforts to deescalate violence, provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, and set the stage for a political settlement of the conflict," said a statement released by the department.

For nearly six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the war until then. The UN stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources.

"On Ukraine, the sides will discuss the need to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and resolve the conflict through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements,” it added.

Conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine after people in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea voted for reunification with Russia in March 2014. The West brands the development as Moscow’s annexation of the territory. The US and its allies in Europe also accuse Russia of having a major hand in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, an allegation denied by Moscow.

The crisis has left over 10,000 people dead, according to the United Nations.

Answering whether Lavrov’s scheduled visit could signify better relations between the two countries, Tillerson said, "We shall see."

Lavrov and Tillerson last met on April 12 while the US diplomat was on a trip to Russia which was his first official visit to the country.

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