Lavrov, Kerry expect further Russia-US cooperation in ensuring truce in Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry stressed the need for further cooperation between Moscow and Washington to ensure a ceasefire in Syria on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

In a phone conversation, the two sides agreed to ramp up the campaign against terrorist groups in the war-torn country, and to take additional actions to prevent extremist militants from being bolstered by combatants and weapons abroad, the ministry said in an online statement.

The statement came as the internationally-brokered negotiations aimed to find a political settlement of the Syria crisis have gained traction during the past several weeks.

They also voiced their support for the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to convene the next round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition.

The latest round of Syrian peace talks, which started on March 14, wrapped up in Geneva with a 12-point paper delivered to both sides for further consideration. The next round of negotiations is expected to kick off in Geneva on April 13, four days behind the original schedule.

Meanwhile, they also welcomed the truce agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and promised more contributions to the normalization of the situation in the region.

Both of the conflicting parties agreed on Friday to observe a ceasefire after nearly one-week clashes, leaving hundreds of soldiers and civilians dead.

Source: XINHUA