Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump discussed increasing cooperation in the ongoing crises in Syria and Iraq in a telephone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday.

The two leaders also spoke about “countering Iranian malign influence,” according to a readout of the call provided by the White House.

On the issue of Venezuela, Trump and Macron agreed that the regime of President Nicolas Maduro must “restore the rights of the Venezuelan people,” the statement added.

Venezuela’s controversial new constituent assembly, packed with allies of the unpopular Maduro, held its inaugural session on Friday amid widespread international criticism of its legitimacy.

Trump and Macron also discussed matters of mutual interest on North Korea, and “reaffirmed the importance of all sides implementing the Minsk agreements to reach a peaceful settlement in Ukraine,” the statement said.