(L-R) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pose for a photo before a Middle East Quartet Principals Meeting during 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 23, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed Syria by phone on Monday and agreed to continue experts’ consultations to try to resolve the crisis, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

It said Lavrov told Kerry Washington had failed to stick to its pledge to encourage “moderate” Syrian rebels to separate themselves from “terrorist” groups in Aleppo.

Lavrov also expressed “indignation” at the U.S. decision not to issue an entry visa to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), who will miss the World Chess Championship in New York as a result.