Russia and U.S. firmly stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq - Lavrov

ZURICH /Switzerland/, January 20 /TASS/. Russia and the United States stand for the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday. "We have drawn a common conclusion that various conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa consist in the fact that Russia and the United States firmly stand for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region," the Russian foreign minister said. "It concerns Syria and Iraq in the first place because arguments can sometimes be heard with regards to these two countries that it would be good to create several states in their place," Lavrov explained. "Russia and the United States are categorically against that. We are going to do everything possible to avert such scenarios when we make our practical steps with other partners, including in the aforesaid region," the Russian foreign minister said. Read more