YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Barack Obama on the American side’s initiative. The heads of states had a substantive discussion on issues of settling the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East with a focus on finding ways to resolve the Syrian crisis, as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Reuters reported, as “Armenpress” informs.

As Press Service of Kremlin informed, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed, in particular, the need for Kiev’s full and rigorous observance of the Minsk Agreements, including establishing a direct dialogue with Donbass, reaching an agreement with them on the constitutional amendments under preparation, holding local elections and the entry into force of laws on special status and amnesty.

Both Presidents noted the importance of the upcoming contacts between the two nations’ representatives on Ukrainian issues.

The leaders expressed mutual support for the UN’s efforts to organize talks at the end of January in Geneva between the Syrian government and the representative delegation of opposition circles with the aim of reaching political settlement in Syria in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Vladimir Putin once again stressed the need to create a broad coalition for fighting ISIS and other extremist organizations, emphasizing the need for quickly preparing lists of terrorist structures and refusing double standards in labeling particular groups.

The Presidents discussed certain aspects of bilateral contacts in various formats, including in the military sphere, aimed at consolidating efforts in the fight against the threat of terrorism in the Middle East.

The leaders also called for deescalating tensions following the crisis in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.