Lavrov said the mood of talks in Washington between the top U.S. and Russian diplomatic and defense officials over Syria was positive. The meeting opened after days of recriminations over Moscow's decision to grant asylum to former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Both Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged their sharp differences over Snowden and other issues going into the talks, which also included Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

"Edward Snowden did not overshadow our discussions," Lavrov told reporters, adding that he believed that case should not affect Syrian peace conference.

He also added that Moscow and Washington agreed to push both Syria government and foreign backed militant groups to participate in peace talks.

As the so-called "2+2" talks opened, Kerry said the two countries need to find ways to work around their sharp differences and make progress on two-year-old civil war in Syria.

"This meeting remains important above and beyond the collisions and the moments of disagreement," said Kerry.

While Washington and Moscow differ on key aspects of the Syria crisis, Kerry said, "Both of us and our countries agree that to avoid institutional collapse and descent into chaos, the ultimate answer is a negotiated political solution."

The talks at the State Department opened as the political mood between the two countries hit one of its lowest points since the end of the Cold War.

President Barack Obama's cancellation this week of a summit in Moscow over President Vladimir Putin's decision to give Snowden asylum put to rest any notion that a much-vaunted "reset" of ties with Moscow sought by the United States in recent years is alive.

Moscow and Washington disagree over a long list of issues, from Syria's civil war to human rights and Russia's ban on homosexual "propaganda."

NJF/NJF