14 Dec 2014 19:18

Lavrov, Kerry meet over Middle East

ROME. Dec 15 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry convened in Rome on Sunday for what became their 17th meeting this year.

The Middle East peace process had been declared as the central issue of the meeting in view of planned talks in the Italian capital between Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf had said Kerry and Lavrov would also discuss the Syria and Ukraine issues.