Report: Russian FM to join Iran talks

MOSCOW — Russia's RIA Novosti news agency says that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will fly to Geneva to join the Iran nuclear talks.

The agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that Russia's level of representation at the meeting will be raised to ministerial.

Ryabkov also expressed optimism about the talks, saying Russia expects they will produce a "lasting result the entire world has been waiting for."

Other Russian news agencies also reported that Lavrov will arrive in Geneva on Saturday.

Earlier Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich had said Lavrov would not attend the Geneva talks.