Putin and Obama recognize tendency to aggravation in Syria during telephone conversation
MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) - The presidents of Russia and the United States had a telephone conversation on Wednesday at the initiative of the U.S. side, press secretary of the Russian head of state Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
"U.S. President Barack Obama expressed condolences in relation to the destructive flood in Krasnodar territory which lead to massive loss of life," Peskov said.
He said that in the context of the debates conducted at the UN Security Council on draft resolutions President Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama "had a throrough discussion of the situation in Syria and recognized a tendency to its aggravation."
"On the whole the exchange of opinions demonstrated that the general evaluations of the situation in Syria and the ultimate objective of the settlement coincided," Peskov said.
"However, there remain differences of approach concerning practical measures of achieving such a settlement," he said.
The presidents of Russia and the U.S. "agreed to maintain close dialogue on the issue," Peskov said.
