19/7 Tass 336
MOSCOW, July 19 (Itar-Tass) —— Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov and Guido Westerwelle discussed Russia’s relations with the European Union and NATO, the situation in Libya, the Middle East and North Africa on the sidelines of the 13th round of the Russian-German interstate consultations on Tuesday.
President Dmitry Medvedev and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel chaired the consultations in Hanover, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“The sides analyzed the interaction between the two foreign ministries in the deepening of the bilateral strategic partnership and discussed topical items of the international and European agenda. They also confirmed the intention to continue ministerial support to primary projects and further development of bilateral agreements,” the ministry said.
“In the light of the German presidency at the UN Security Council in July 2011, the sides discussed the interaction at the United Nations on key items of the current agenda. They gave special attention to the developments in Libya, the Middle East and North Africa. The sides stressed the importance of further active efforts of the Middle East Quartet to restart the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations,” the ministry said.
“Traditionally, the sides focused on the entire spectrum of Russia-EU relations and closer interaction in foreign policy and security affairs. Applicably to Russia-NATO relations, the ministers singled out the task of developing a common missile defense network in Europe for the sake of the common security and partnership space in the Euro-Atlantic region,” the ministry said.
In addition, Lavrov and Westerwelle signed a joint statement in support of the opening of the German House of Science and Innovations in Moscow, the ministry said.