(Newswire.net — December 15, 2015) — “The US and Russia need to find common ground to end Syria’s civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine”, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports AP.
“Russia and the United States jointly seek solutions to the most complicated crisis,” said Russian President and added that meeting of foreign ministers of Russia and America earlier today, Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry, was very constructive, reports Sputnik.
“The Minister Lavrov has imparted to me all the details of your proposal, as well as issues that require further talks,” Putin said to Kerry who came to Moscow on Tuesday not even knowing whether Russia would agree that the next international meeting on the crisis should take place on next Friday in New York.
Russia and the U.S. do not share the view how to solve the problems in Syria. Moscow insists it is targeting ISIS while accusing the U.S. of dividing terror groups into “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists,” reports Guardian.
“Even when there have been differences between us, we have been able to work effectively on specific issues. Today, I hope we can find some common ground,” Kerry said before meeting with Lavrov.
Speaking after the meeting, Kerry called Lavrov the “co-convenor” of the and thanked him for his efforts “to lead us up now hopefully to getting to New York and building on the progress that’s been made”.
US Secretary of State declined to say whether the New York negotiations would go ahead on Friday.
“Well, I need to meet with the president,” he told reporters in Moscow.
John Kerry took advantage of some free time to walk around the Russian capital. He walked through the pedestrian zone in the center of Moscow, spoke with the passersby, and then bought the famous babushka dolls for 500 euros at the gift shop in the Old Arbat, reported Sputnik.