“Yes, they continue,” RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
Lavrentyev emphasized that it is premature to discuss the issue of negotiations between the heads of the Defense Ministry of the four countries due to the worsening situation in the Middle East.
Earlier, Lavrentyev reported that Iraq informed Russia about the readiness of the United States to withdraw its troops from the country.
Also, according to him, Washington will in every possible way delay the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Lavrentyev noted that the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq will lead to the withdrawal of Americans from Syria due to problems with logistics.