MOSCOW, October 21./TASS/. In a phone call on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron stated the need to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, the Kremlin press service said, adding that the conversation had been initiated by the French side.
The two leaders "discussed in detail the situation in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic," speaking of a need "to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of that state," the press service said.
Putin informed Macron about efforts that Russia takes to stabilize the situation in the region, "including assistance in the establishment of contacts between the interested parties and in ensuring the interests of all ethnic and religious groups," it said. They "emphasized the importance of launching an intra-Syrian dialogue within the framework of the Constitutional Committee to be convened in Geneva at the end of October under the UN auspices, in order to achieve a stable political settlement in Syria," the report said.
On Saturday, the Russian president had a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, reiterating that long-term stabilization in Syria was possible only on the basis of respect for the principles of unity and territorial integrity of the country and regard for the interests of all ethno-confessional groups of the Syrian people.
Putin and Merkel emphasized the importance of advancing the process of political settlement in Syria, also bearing in mind that a first session of the Constitutional Committee will be held in Geneva at the end of October.