Lavrov to meet US secretary of state at 66th UN GA session.

NEW YORK, September 20 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov on Tuesday begins his program of work at the 66th session of the UN
General Assembly in New York with a meeting with US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton.
The Russian foreign minister is expected to announce to the American
side Moscow's assessment of the results of the dialogue on missile
defence, which so far is "advancing has slowly," according to diplomats.
The parties also intend to discuss prospects for Russia's earliest
accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
As coordinators of the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission
Lavrov and Clinton will analyse the work of twenty working groups and
consider the implementation of joint projects. The priority issues
include: transportation security, strengthening of cooperation in the
field of culture and ecology, in particular, the establishment of a
natural reserve on both sides of the Bering Strait.
It is planned to agree a schedule of contacts at the high and summit
levels, including a possible visit by US President Barack Obama to Moscow
before the end of this year.
It is not excluded that the two countries' diplomacy heads will pay
close attention to the liberalisation of the visa regime between Russia
and the United States. At negotiations in Washington in July, the parties
stated that a corresponding agreement would be fully ready by December 25
this year. "The document will be signed this year, much earlier than
Christmas, even Catholic," the Russian foreign minister said then noting
that "there are no obstacles."
As for international issues, Lavrov and Clinton will not overlook the
situation in the Middle East and North Africa, in particular, in Libya and
Syria.
One of the issues under discussion will be Palestine's intention to
appeal to the UN GA for the recognition of its independence.
Experts note that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) head
Mahmoud Abbas could announce the corresponding application in his speech
on September 23. The United States has already hurried to say that it will
use the veto right.
The Russian foreign minister on the eve of his trip to New York
stressed that "for Russia, the question of the Palestinian state's
independence has long been unambiguously settled." "This problem does not
exist for Russia," the minister said. "We had recognised this state back
in 1989, the Embassy of Palestine works in Moscow."
In addition to Russia, more than 120 countries are ready to vote for
the recognition of an independent Palestinian state.