Putin, Kurz advocate resumption of intra-Syria talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday expressed readiness to facilitate the resumption of intra-Syrian negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).

During a phone conversation, Putin and Kurz discussed the situation in Syria, which has been aggravated by the missile strikes conducted by the United States and its allies, the Kremlin said.

The leaders underlined the primary importance of providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, according to a Kremlin press release.

The eighth round of UN-sponsored negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, between the Syrian government and the opposition since early 2016 concluded on Dec. 14, 2017, making little progress due to a wide rift.

The ninth round was held in Vienna, Austria, on January 25-26, resulting in a truce between the warring sides in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Syria's capital of Damascus.

The UN-backed intra-Syria negotiations have been suspended since then.

The United States and its allies launched a wave of missile strikes last week, saying it was in response to a chemical weapons use by the Syrian government forces in the rebel-held district of Douma in Eastern Ghouta on April 7.

According to UN data, the Syrian crisis over the past six years has caused 330,000 deaths and displaced half of the country's population, with 13.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid.