Moscow, SANA – Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed in a phone call with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev the preparations for the upcoming Astana meeting on the crisis in Syria.

The Kremlin’s press service said in a statement that the two sides discussed a number of pressing issues on the agenda of bilateral and international relations, including preparations for the upcoming Astana meeting on the crisis in Syria in June and meeting of the Council of Heads of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the opening of Expo 2017.

The Kazakh capital of Astana hosted four meetings on the crisis in Syria, which affirmed commitment to the sovereignty, independence and unity of the Syrian territories and the establishment of a cessation of hostilities. The latest meeting witnessed the signing of a Russian memorandum on the establishment of de-escalation zones in Syria.

M. al-Frieh/H. Said