MOSCOW. June 14 (Interfax) - The situation in Syria and a proposed international conference that will address the continuing conflict in this country will dominate the agenda of talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Italian counterpart Emma Bonino in Moscow on June 15, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website on Friday.
"The central topic will be the problems facing the situation in and around Syria with a focus on the Russia-U.S. proposed international conference intended to help resolve the Syrian crisis. The Russian side will stress the need to conduct thorough preparations for this conference, which is expected to help launch a political settlement in Syria, as well as give the go-ahead to inter-Syrian dialogue in order to fully implement the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012," the ministry said.
The ministers will also discuss the upcoming G8 summit in the United Kingdom and the G20 summit in St. Petersburg, as well as will analyze the prospects for Russia's cooperation with NATO and the European Union in light of the results of the Russia-EU summit in Yekaterinburg and Italy's EU presidency in the second half of 2014, it said.
The June 15 negotiations will also address the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the UN Security Council reform, the Iranian nuclear program and missile defense issues, the ministry said.
Bilateral trade and business cooperation will be discussed as well.
"Top priorities in this sphere include encouraging the sustainable positive dynamics of mutual trade, which stood at $45.84 billion in 2012," the ministry said.
"Attention will also be paid to cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, including preparations for the Russian Tourism Year in Italy and the Italian Tourism Year in Russia in 2013-2014," it said.
It will be the first meeting of the two countries' foreign ministers after a new government was formed in Italy. The goal of the meeting is to further promote the Russian-Italian strategic partnership in all areas.