Only political and diplomatic methods could settle the crisis in Syria and stabilise the situation in the region as a whole, the Russian foreign ministry said Wednesday.

 

 During a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, Moscow called for preparations for the international conference on Syria to be completed, Xinhua reported citing a ministry statement.

 

 The two diplomats met on the fringes of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

 

 Lavrov, who also met UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres, promised Russia would allocate $10 million in aid for Syrian refugees and displaced persons.

 

 The Syrian crisis, which broke out in March 2011, prompted a massive influx of Syrian refugees into neighbouring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.

 

 The Russian financial contribution will be split between the Jordanian and Lebanese governments.

 

 According to the UNHCR, the total number of Syrian refugees has reached 2.6 million, most of them in Jordan and Lebanon.

 

IANS