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Lavrov and Kerry Meeting Possible in March

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry may meet in March, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax in an interview published Friday.

"All things considered, a face-to-face meeting probably won't happen by the end of February. But afterward a meeting should be held. We're considering the possibilities now. It's not very clear what the minister and the secretary's itineraries are, and how they can intersect," he said.

In response to a question about whether the meeting would take place in March, Ryabkov said, "It's probably possible, but we have to exclude the word 'likely.'"

It was reported earlier this week that new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had repeatedly phoned Lavrov to discuss North Korea's nuclear test, but had not heard back from the Russian minister.

Lavrov has been traveling in Africa this week, including official stops in Mozambique, Algeria and the west African nation of Guinea, according to the Foreign Ministry's website.

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