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Kerry in Moscow amid rising Syrian tensions
May 7, 2013, 10:21 am

President Bashar Assad speaks at the Opera House in central Damascus [AP]

The US has been calling for active military involvement to force Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to step down [AP]

US secretary of state John Kerry has arrived in Moscow for a two-day trip just ahead of the nationwide Victory Day celebrations.

Kerry who is making his first trip to Russia since taking over as the chief US diplomat in February, is planning to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“And so appropriately, we’re going to honour veterans, and I think we’ll even meet a few of them there,” Kerry was quoted by RIA Novosti.

Kerry’s visit is largely seen as an attempt to bridge the differences between Russia and the US on escalating tensions in Syria with reports of the Israeli airstrikes.

Kerry will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The US has been calling for active military involvement to force Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to step down.

Russia, on the other hand, has repeatedly warned that rebel forces are teaming up with Islamic extremists and that there is a serious threat of the conflict’s spillover.

Russia has condemned Israel’s alleged airstrike against Syria and said it is concerned that the chances of foreign military intervention in Syria were growing.

“We are seriously concerned by the signs of preparation of global public opinion for possible armed intervention in the long-running internal conflict in Syria,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.

Kerry will also hold a “full bilateral meeting” with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Besides Syria, the “more intensified dialogue with the Russians at the highest levels” will include a range of bilateral issues, including Iran, North Korea, trade and counterterrorism cooperation.

Daria Chernyshova