Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reacts during a news conference in Moscow, Russia, January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has observed positive signs in the Syria peace process and sees a meeting in the Kazakh capital next week as an important step toward establishing a framework for talks taking place in Geneva, Russian news agencies cited Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Friday.

Lavrov was also quoted as saying by RIA news agency that Moscow was ready to do its part to move to a constructive dialogue with the United States.