(VOVworld) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that Russia and the US could cooperate effectively in the fight against terrorism, including terrorist groups in Syria.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shake hands at a meeting to discuss the Syrian conflict on Friday in Vienna, Austria. (Photo: usnews.com)

Speaking after a conference on Syria’s crisis in Vienna, Lavrov said Russia had called on the US to join in air strikes against IS in Syria, but the US just agreed on a mechanism to avoid sudden clashes. He underlined that both Russia and the US have a “common enemy”, adding the two countries need to do the best in order to prevent the enemy from taking control in Syria or any country.
About the White House’s latest decision to send task forces to Syria, Lavrov said the decision was not approved by the Syrian administration. He said that although differences between the US and Russia on the fate of Syrian President Bashar Al Assaad have not been resolved, Russia believes that the issue must be decided by Syrians.