Russian, Finnish Presidents Discuss Syrian Settlement, Bilateral Relations

Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a phone conversation with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö and discussed the settlement of the Syrian crisis as well as bilateral ties and forthcoming meeting of the two leaders, the Kremlin's press service said in a Friday statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The sides also discussed the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence from Russia in 2017.

"[The presidents] have discussed actual issues of bilateral cooperation, including the forthcoming high-level contacts, as well as the contacts at the highest level… Aside from that, [the presidents] have exchanged views on the situation around the settlement of the Syrian crisis and other international issues," the statement said.

Russia and Finland have a long history of diplomatic relations. The two countries have agreements in the fields of economy, transport, border cooperation, environment and other spheres.