Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday about the possibility of a political solution in Syria, where Moscow has been conducting airstrikes since late September, AFP reports.
The two huddled in the southern Russian city of Sochi and were joined by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Energy Minister Alexander Novak.
"We have closely cooperated with Saudi Arabia for years on the crisis in Syria," Lavrov told journalists, according to remarks broadcast on television.
"The two parties confirmed that Saudi Arabia and Russia have similar objectives when it comes to Syria. Above all, it is to not let a terrorist caliphate take over the country."