MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax) - The Russian and Italian foreign affairs and defense ministers will meet in Rome on February 18, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"On February 18 in Rome, there will be yet another meeting of the Russian and Italian foreign and defense ministers, the format we refer to as 2+2," Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.
At what will be their fourth meeting, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini will discuss "a wide range of issues, with emphasis on global stability, solving the most acute inter-regional problems, and, in particular, will touch on a bloc of issues relating to arms control and security in Europe," the Middle East peace process, and the situation in North Africa, she said.
The two pairs of ministers will also hold bilateral meetings, Zakharova said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko received Italian Ambassador Pasquale Terraciano on February 12.
"During the conversation, the two sides discussed preparations for the February 18 meeting in Rome of the ministers of foreign affairs and defense of Russia and Italy in the 'two plus two' format. There was also an exchange of views on certain pressing international topics and matters of the bilateral relationship," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on its website on Wednesday.