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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Russia on Wednesday that political dialogue and a ceasefire were priorities for southern Syria where he said a humanitarian catastrophe risked unfolding.

Safadi made the comment after holding talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.

He said the situation in southern Syria was a cause for serious concern and needed to be resolved as soon as possible.

The Russian-backed Syrian government has mounted a campaign to recover southwestern Syria from rebels.

Syrian rebel negotiators began a new round of talks with Russian officers on Tuesday over a peace deal in southern Syria under which they would hand over weapons and allow Russian military police to enter rebel-held towns.