WNAM REPORT: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in an annual meeting of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy (SVOP), Russia’s oldest NGO, on Saturday.
At the meeting, the top Russian diplomat will share his vision of the present-day stage of global developments and listen to opinions of the country’s leading experts on the key aspects of Russia’s foreign policy.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said at a news briefing that this year’s discussions will be themed on Trying Times: 21st Century War and Peace.
Lavrov is expected to address the first session, titled “Global Changes and Russian Policies.” After that, the minister traditionally takes part in discussions and takes questions from the audience.
The discussions will likely focus on the situation around the Ukraine crisis in the wake of last week’s talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. Lavrov said on Friday that a second round of negotiations with Kiev on resolving the Ukraine conflict will be held and that the Russian side is at an advanced stage of work on a memorandum.
