President Vladimir Putin (C)

Russia is ready to cooperate with the Western coalition fighting the Islamic State group if its members respect Syria's sovereignty, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

"We are ready for practical cooperation with those countries who are part of the coalition and are ready to develop with them such forms of coordination that of course would respect Syria's sovereignty and the prerogatives of the Syrian leadership," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.