MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry has emphasized the need for the normalization of Russian-US relations on the basis of principles of equality and mutual respect for each other’s interests, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“In discussing the current complicated situation in Russian-US relations, Lavrov emphasized the need for normalizing the relations on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual respect for interests,” the Foreign Ministry said. “This is particularly important in view of the key role Russia and the United States play in handling acute world problems."

Lavrov and Kerry also discussed Iran's nuclear program. They agreed that the talks on Tehran's nuclear program have good chances to reach certain agreements, but additional efforts are needed for that, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.