US President Barack Obama recognized Russia’s efforts at mediating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin’s press service said Wednesday, Sputnik reports.
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Both leaders stressed the importance of restarting UN-sponsored Syria peace talks after two rounds of negotiations held in Geneva since the start of the year ended without progress, the Kremlin said.
The message comes amid tensions between the Russia and the U.S. Russian warships and planes have been engaging in aggressive maneuvers with U.S. military forces, and Moscow has engaged in Syria in ways the United States has said is not constructive in the fight against ISIS. Obama emphasized, the White House said, the need to reach an overall political solution to the Syrian civil war, which has raged since 2011.
President Vladimir Putin has signed off a new law making Russians show identification if they want to buy tickets for sporting events, the government’s information website www.pravo.fso.gov.ru stated on Monday.
The White House made no mention of increased coordination with Russian Federation in its own statement about the Putin call.
“President Obama stressed the importance of Russian Federation pressing the Syrian regime for a lasting halt to offensive attacks against civilians and parties to the Cessation, noting the importance of fully recommitting to the original terms of the Cessation”, the White House said.
On Syria, Obama emphasised his concerns over the failure of the Syrian regime to comply with the cessation of hostilities in Syria. The Kremlin, however, has recently sought to seek rapprochement with the United States.
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The message was a change of tune from the Kremlin’s recent allegations a U.S. Navy ship came dangerously close to one of its combat ships.
