Russia, China set to further coordinate stances on Syria

Russia and China plan to further coordinate their positions on the Syrian issue, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday after a telephone conversation between Russian and Chinese foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi. The diplomats confirmed unity of positions of Russia and China that consistently called for political and diplomatic settlement of Syria’s crisis without external interference. Lavrov and Wang welcomed Syria’s decision to accede the Chemical Weapons Convention and called for the soonest possible implementation of the Russian-U.S. agreements reached in Geneva, beginning from adoption of an action plan for their implementation by the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The ministers agreed to maintain close contacts and to further coordinate their stances on Syria within the framework of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations.