Russia’s Lavrov meets Germany’s Merkel for talks on Syria

BERLIN – The German government says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the head of the Russian military have met Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin for talks on Syria and Ukraine.

The government said Tuesday’s meeting between Lavrov, German counterpart Heiko Maas, Merkel and the chief of the Russian military’s general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, was agreed last week between Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It hadn’t previously been announced publicly.

In a written statement, the government gave few details of the meeting’s outcome. It said “the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, was at the centre of the discussion. The conflict in eastern Ukraine was also addressed.”

The meeting came after Lavrov and Gerasimov met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Monday, also to discuss Syria.