Russian diplomats talk to NATO, Turkey, and Iran

AP , Monday 19 Dec 2016

Syria
The remains of old buildings in Aleppo, Syria. (Tass Photo)

The Russian military says defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran will meet in Moscow to discuss Syria.

The meeting, due Tuesday, will coincide with the meeting of the three nation's foreign ministers, also in the Russian capital.

The military said on Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will host his Iranian counterpart Hossein Dehghan and Turkey's Fikri Isik.

It says they will discuss ways to resolve the Syrian conflict and help implement U.N. Security Council's resolutions on Syria.

 NATO and Russia ambassadors will also have a fresh attempt to improve relations, which have sunk to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.

The diplomats met in Brussels Monday for the third time this year, with the military alliance insisting on talking about the conflict in Ukraine and Russia's role there.

The U.S.-led alliance also wants to discuss ways to avoid incidents and accidents between Russian and NATO forces.

Russia has annoyed NATO with snap war games or by buzzing the alliance's ships and aircraft with fighter jets, as well as what NATO sees as aggressive use of propaganda.

Douglas Lute, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told ABC news on Sunday that the allies "will bring up with our Russian counterpart this pattern of malign influence."
 

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