MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu have emphasized the need for respecting ceasefire in Syria, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement following the two ministers’ telephone conversation. According to the ministry, the top diplomats discussed the preparations for the meeting on settling the Syrian crisis, scheduled to be held in Astana on January 23.

"The ministers exchanged views on the situation in Syria," the statement reads. "They emphasized the need to respect the ceasefire brokered by both Russia and Turkey."

"The ministers also discussed practical issues related to the upcoming Astana meeting on settling the Syrian conflict, paying particular attention to the expert consultations between Russia, Turkey and Iran held in Moscow on January 13," the Russian foreign ministry added.

Besides that, the parties also touched upon "the pressing issues concerning Russian-Turkish cooperation," the foreign ministry said.

On December 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that agreements on a ceasefire in Syria had been reached, and that the Syrian government and the armed opposition were ready to begin peace talks. The intra-Syrian talks are scheduled to begin in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana on January 23.