(VOVworld) – US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on Wednesday in Zurich, Switzerland to discuss the crisis in Syria.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met to discuss Syria (dailysabah.com)

This was the first meeting between both sides which aimed at resolving differences over who is eligible to join UN-mediated peace talks for Syria due to begin next week. Both leaders discussed the implementation of agreements reached last October and November in Vienna, Austria, in which an interim government will be established in Syria within 6 months and the elections will be held within 18 months.

Lavrov said the Syrian crisis will still be resolved based on a UN Security Council’s Resolution, adding that Russia and the US do not have any kind of thoughts about changing the beginning of the talks from January to February. The political process will begin in the nearest future, during January but the final decision will be taken by the UN Secretary-General.