G20 to discuss Syria only if Russia initiates talks

The Syrian issue is “not on the agenda for the G20 summit to be held in St. Petersburg September 5-6, and only Russia may raise it,” said Michael Mann, press secretary of Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union. Previously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the negotiations with his visiting South African counterpart Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on Monday that Syria was not on the agenda of the G20 summit, but Russia was prepared for the talks on the situation around the country, “The Group of Twenty was created to solve exclusively financial and economic problems,” Lavrov recalled. “The Syrian issue is not on the agenda of a G20 summit in St. Petersburg. But any leader can raise this issue,” he said. “We will be prepared for these talks,” the minister added.