Obama, Putin agree on need for political transition, ceasefire in Syria
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on the need for a Syria-led political transition, including UN-mediated talks, when they spoke at the G20 summit on November 15.
The Cold War superpower foes have been at odds over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Moscow supports and Washington wants gone, as well as the conflict in Ukraine.
In a 35 minute discussion on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Turkey, Obama and Putin discussed efforts to find a solution to the conflict, which had been made more pressing by the attacks in Paris that killed 129 people.
Obama welcomed efforts by all countries in confronting Islamic State, noting the importance of Russia's military efforts in Syria focusing on the group.
Following the talks, Russian media quoted a top Kremlin adviser as saying the two countries have similar approach toward fighting terrorism but differ on tactics.