Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov takes part in a news conference at United Nations Headquarters in New York, U.S., September 23, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday he thought it was right to invite the Trump administration to peace talks on the Syria conflict that are planned for Jan. 23 in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.

Lavrov said at a news conference that he hoped the Trump administration would accept the invitation and welcomed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s desire to make fighting international terrorism a priority.

He also told reporters he hoped Russia and Trump could cooperate more effectively on Syria than Russia did with the Obama administration.