Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with scientists, representing the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Novosibirsk, Russia February 8, 2018. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Syrian peace process by phone on Friday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two men discussed the importance of increasing Franco-Russian cooperation on Syria, options to rebuild the country, and the need to move forward with inclusive peace talks in Geneva, the Kremlin said.

Macron’s planned visit to Russia in May, to the St Petersburg Economic Forum, and the crisis in Ukraine were also discussed, it said.