Lavrov, Kerry discuss situation in East Aleppo in phone talks

By  Trend

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry discussed in a phone call on Friday the Syrian crisis with the focus on the situation around the embattled city of Aleppo, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, Sputnik International reported.

"Following recent talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima, Lavrov and Kerry continued discussion of the Syrian peace process with the focus on the situation around eastern Aleppo," the ministry said in a statement.

Over recent months, Aleppo has been a major battleground in Syria, engaging government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. Militant-held eastern Aleppo is encircled by government forces and the fighting has affected thousands of civilians still trapped in the city.