(VOVworld) – US President Barrack Obama on Tuesday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the agenda for the peace conference on Syria, also known as Geneva 2, which opened Wednesday in Montreux, Switzerland. The phone call was described as “practical and constructive” although Russia and the US have supported different sides in the Syrian conflict over the past 3 years.

Obama and Putin had a practical and constructive phone call on the agenda of the Geneva 2 talks. Photo: internet

The Geneva talks took place as scheduled although many people doubt its success. Opposition forces in Syria insist that President Bashar Al-Assad resign and be put on trial at the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, President Assad said that he will run again for the presidential election scheduled for the end of this year. He called on parties joining the Geneva 2 talks to focus on the war against terrorism, implying the opposition in Syria. Moreover, UN’s decision not to invite Iran to the talks at the last minute is said to have significantly affected the conference’s chances of success.