Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani agreed over the phone to continue close cooperation regarding Syrian political settlement, Kremlin press service said Saturday, according to Sputnik News.

"It has been agreed to continue close coordination in promoting a political settlement of the Syrian crisis, in particular, bearing in mind the negotiations of the interested parties in Astana in order to achieve certain agreements," the statement read.

On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation said that the Syrian army operation to liberate the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo was over.

Source: MENA