MOSCOW (AFP) -
Russia's
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke on Friday with US Secretary of
State John Kerry about measures that could be taken to strengthen the
fragile ceasefire in Syria, the Russian ministry said.
The two
top diplomats discussed taking "concrete measures aimed at strengthening
the ceasefire process in Syria" which was established in late February
and has generally been holding, the foreign ministry statement said in a
statement.
The measures would include steps to improve access to humanitarian aid and to fight against acts of terrorism in the country.
The telephone conversation between Lavrov and Kerry "took place on April 1 at the Americans' initiative," the statement added.
Lavrov
also reiterated Russia's call to close the Turkish-Syrian border which
Moscow says is "actively used" to send Islamist fighters to Syria via
Turkey.
This issue calls for "agreement on the necessary actions
as quickly as possible, including via the UN Security Council," the
statement said.
Russia has repeatedly accused Turkey of backing
Islamist groups opposed to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Moscow's ally
in the five-year war.
The ceasefire reached in late February, led
by Russia and the United States, is between the Assad regime and the
rebels but does not include the jihadist groups Islamic State and the
Al-Nusra Front.
UN-led talks on a peace deal are due to resume in
Geneva soon, but the sides are deadlocked over the fate of Assad, whom
the opposition insists must leave power before a transitional government
is agreed.
Assad has said that any transitional government should
include both the regime and opposition, without specifying which
opposition groups should take part.
© 2016 AFP
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