Putin to host Obama for bilateral visit this year - Kremlin:

US, Russia to intensify cooperation on Syria, counter - terrorism

RUSSIA: Russian President Vladimir Putin will host his US counterpart Barack Obama for a bilateral visit later this year as the two leaders pledged to intensify cooperation on Syria and counter- terrorism, a Kremlin aide said on Monday.

Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said Obama had called Putin to discuss future contacts with the Russian leader including a bilateral visit just before the G20 summit that Russia hosts in Saint Petersburg in early September.

“The visit will take place before the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg,” Russian news agencies quoted Ushakov as saying.

He did not release any details of the upcoming visit but said the two leaders would also meet on the sidelines of a G8 summit in Northern Ireland on June 17-18.

Putin and Obama have agreed to ramp up counter-terrorism efforts in the wake of the Boston bombings blamed on suspects of Chechen origin, Ushakov was quoted as saying.

The two leaders also expressed readiness to intensify cooperation on the Syrian conflict.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama told President Vladimir Putin of his concern about the reported use of chemical weapons by the Damascus regime.

Obama also thanked Putin in the telephone call for his help after the Boston marathon bombings, and expressed condolences over a fire that killed 36 patients in a Russian psychiatric facility on Friday, the White House said.

Obama and Putin agreed to stay in touch on Syria and tasked Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with working together on the issue.

Obama also used the call with Putin to thank Russia for its assistance in the probe into the Boston bombings two weeks ago, blamed on two brothers of Chechen origin, one of whom had raised flags with Moscow’s intelligence services.

“The two leaders discussed cooperation on counterterrorism and security issues going forward, including with respect to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi,” the White House statement said.

Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said the leaders agreed to ramp up counter-terrorism efforts in the wake of the Boston bombings.

AFP