SECRETARY KERRY: I have nothing to add with respect to the situation regarding an Embassy
official in Moscow.
And I'm grateful to my friend Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Russia, for a very productive
meeting yesterday in which we did the large business of our countries, which was facing
first of all the challenge of Syria.
We met at length.
We both agreed that there is much work to be done.
We understand what each of us has to do in the next days.
We're very optimistic that we can get that work done.
We've both been in touch with the United Nations, with Ban Ki-moon, with other participants.
Each of us has agreed to work very hard with respect to the flow of people that we are
in touch with, the foreign ministers, the opposition, the Assad regime, others, in order
to bring the parties to the table.
And I think it's fair to say that both of us are confident about the direction that
we're moving in and very, very hopeful that within in a short period of time the pieces
will have come together fully so that the world, hopefully, will have an opportunity
to be given an alternative to the violence and destruction that is taking place in Syria
at this moment.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: Thank you.
I can confirm that we had a very productive meeting yesterday.
We did not discuss the incident to which you refer.
Everything we should have to say - we, the Russian side - on that particular incident
was stated yesterday by the spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
I have nothing to add.
As to the substance of our cooperative meeting yesterday, I would share the assessments just
presented by John.
We have a very clear initiative on the table.
The Russian-American proposal to convene a conference to start implementing the Geneva
communique of June last year - it's self explanatory and what we need now is to mobilize support
for this initiative on the basis of what was, I believe, in Geneva and what was proposed
by Washington and Moscow - to mobilize support first of all by all the Syrian groups, the
regime and all opposition groups; and second by those outside actors who have influence
on either one or the other Syrian group.
That's what we discussed.
That's what we will be doing in our conference with all outside players and with the Syrian,
but especially in the expectation of the two events, which the opposition is holding one,
a meeting by National Coalition in Istanbul.
And about the same time there is - there will be a meeting in (inaudible) convened by the
internal opposition, in particular by the National Coordinating Committee.
It is very important that the participants of both meetings express their clear support
for the Russian-American initiative to start implementing the Geneva communique.
Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: If I could just add, I want to emphasize the degree to which we both believe
Russia and the United States share a belief that is extremely constructive and positive
that we are working together cooperatively in an effort to try to implement a peaceful
resolution based on Geneva I, which recognizes the need for a transition government with
full executive authority by mutual consent.
That's what we're working towards, and I don't think it's insignificant that at this moment
in time we are finding this common ground and working closer together.