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 Speaking during an event on the sidelines of the Paris climate
talks, Kerry said despite its military and political interests in
Syria, Moscow "has been constructive" in trying to find a political
settlement to end the Syrian conflict.
"I’m ... traveling to Moscow in a week and will be meeting with him
(Putin) and with Foreign Minister Lavrov on the subject of Syria and
on Ukraine," Kerry said. "They have helped us in this process.
Russia has been constructive in helping the Vienna process to take
place, to be successful, and I think they want a political
settlement there."
He did not elaborate on dates for the meeting.
Kerry often meets with Lavrov during events around the globe, and it
will be his second trip to Russia this year to discuss Syria and
Ukraine. He met Putin in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi in May.
 The Moscow talks will take place ahead of a possible meeting in New
York on December 18 on trying to push the Syrian political process
forward. But Kerry has warned that the New York meeting hinges on
efforts currently underway in Saudi Arabia to unite Syrian
opposition groups.
Russia, the United States, European and Middle Eastern countries
agreed last month in talks in Vienna on a two-year timeline leading
to Syrian national elections, but left many questions unresolved,
most notably the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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The countries involved in the talks, which also include Saudi
Arabia, Iran and Turkey, laid out a plan including formal talks
between the government and opposition from Jan. 1.
To achieve that timeline, Saudi Arabia is hosting a conference this
week to try to unite Syria's divided rebel and opposition groups,
who are trying to forge a common platform to be able to negotiate
with the Syrian government.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
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