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Putin, Kerry agree to push ahead with Syria peace process

In a stark reminder of the urgency of the quest – and even as the U.S. envoy and the Kremlin leader were meeting Tuesday – a monitoring group said suspected Russian air strikes killed 34 Syrian civilians.

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“We will meet this Friday, Dec. 18, in NY with the International Syrian Support Group, and then… we will pass a United Nations resolution regarding the Vienna communiques and the next steps with respect to negotiations and hopefully a ceasefire”, Kerry said in a statement. However, Kerry said that the global talks will definitely take place if the two countries agreed to do so, initiating potential political transformation. Since late September, it has been bombing terrorist and rebel targets in Syria as part of what the West says is an effort to prop up Assad’s government. Several times an hour, the bottom reverberates with the roar of fighter jets taking off to pound jihadist rebel groups & support the bottom forces of beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Rather, it is on facilitating a peace process in which “Syrians will be making decisions for the future of Syria”.

“Armenpress” reports referring to Sputnik International that Kerry announced that Russian Federation and the USA had discussed exchanging data on the locations of anti-terrorist operations, and that Washington is not pursuing a policy of isolating Russian Federation.

In calling for Assad to step down, the Obama administration has repeatedly argued that the dictator serves as a magnet and recruiting aid for the jihadists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other groups engaged in the conflict.

More than 250,000 people have died since Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes.

We’re a long way from USA president Barack Obama’s infamous “red line” on Syria, aren’t we?

He said the two sides had found some common ground, a sentiment echoed by Lavrov.

“One of the effects of that incident [involving Russia’s Sukhoi-24 plane] was we have started open discussions with Turkey along the Syrian settlement track”, Zakharova said.

At Incirlik, where the number of U.S. personnel has increased to 1,300 from around 300 in July, Carter was due to speak to United States military officials and to hold a “town hall” meeting with family members of USA troops.

Kerry has again linked the lifting of the sanctions against Russian Federation to the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine.

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“The U.S. does not seek to isolate Russian Federation as a matter of policy”, Kerry said.

A YPG fighter takes position against ISIS militants in Syria. AFP file