General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, the head of Russia’s General Staff, and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford discussed Syria on the phone, Russia's Defense Ministry said.
"On March 21, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, Deputy Defense Minister, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov had a phone conversation with Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the United States’ Joint Chiefs of Staff," TASS cited the defense ministry as saying.
The officials "discussed issues concerning the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic along with other pressing issues of mutual interest".
"Gerasimov and Dunford agreed to continue bilateral contacts," the ministry said.
US Air Force Col. Patrick Ryder, in turn, told CNN that in accordance with past practice, both have agreed to keep the details of their conversation private.
