Kerry, Lavrov to meet in Paris

The two aim to advance efforts to start talks between Syrian government and opposition leaders

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (photo credit: AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (photo credit: AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov next week in Paris to discuss peace talks in Syria.

US officials say they want to advance efforts to start talks between the Syrian government and opposition leaders.

The officials say Kerry will extend a seven-day trip through the Middle East and Africa by one day to dine Monday with Lavrov.

The US wants to convince Syrian rebel leaders to attend the planned peace talks in Geneva next month. The Russians have been pressing Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime to attend as well.

The US hopes that by bringing both parties to the negotiating table, it will make progress on a political transition that could end more than two years of civil war.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press

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