MOSCOW, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that Moscow urges Washington to immediately lift its inhumane sanctions against Tehran, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The Russian side reaffirmed its intention to continue the comprehensive development of Russian-Iranian trade and economic ties and investment projects, including helping to increase the supply of agricultural products, which Iran urgently needs due to U.S. sanctions, it said in a statement.

"Sergei Lavrov emphasized that the Russian Federation strongly urges Washington to immediately lift its inhumane sanctions that prevent the respective governments from fully combating COVID-19," it said.

The ministers also discussed pressing issues on the international agenda, including the Syrian settlement and the situation in Afghanistan.