'Lavrov Speaks With Kerry Almost Daily': Russia-US Contacts on Syria Continue

No one has exited the Russian-US agreement on Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Thursday that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov maintains near-daily talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Syria.

"No one has canceled it and no one has exited these agreements. The contacts are constant. Lavrov speaks with John Kerry almost daily," Bogdanov said.

Acknowledging that Washington had "suspended" military dialogue with Moscow, the diplomat maintained that contacts "must continue, they have no alternative."

On September 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Kerry announced a new peace plan to address the conflict. The ceasefire deal was later shattered by numerous violations, which resulted in intensified fighting between the Syrian government and militants in Aleppo.

On Monday, the US State Department announced it was suspending bilateral channels with Russia that were established to sustain a cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria. Russia responded with suspending a number of agreements with the United States including those on cooperation in scientific research and development in nuclear and energy sectors and the plutonium disposal agreement.