REUTERS

The meeting was held "to advance efforts to restore the nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria and to establish conditions that can enable political transition talks to resume between the opposition and the Assad regime," the report says.

John Kerry "expressed concern about repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities by the Syrian regime." "The two also discussed the need to increase pressure on terrorist groups like Daesh and the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al Nusra," the U.S. State Department reports.

Read alsoU.S. Congress considering tougher anti-Russian sanctions"Secretary Kerry emphasized that absent concrete, near-term steps, diplomatic efforts could not continue indefinitely," reads the readout of the meeting. "Discussions in the morning between Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were expected to explore initiatives in more detail.

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