MOSCOW, 14 Â October 2015: Â Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow is seeking to raise the level of bilateral cooperation with Washington in solving the crisis in the war-torn Syria.
“It is necessary to elevate this work to a serious and concrete level if we really want to work effectively,” Putin said in a live webcast of the Russia Calling investment conference.
He said Russia has proposed to organize a meeting in Moscow or in Washington on that issue, and the Russian side could be led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, which would include top officials from the military and special services.
“But there has not been an answer so far,” Putin added.
The president also complained that there has been little cooperation on the part of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition in terms of intelligence sharing.
“We asked our partners about the targets we shall strike, but they just told us they are not ready for this,” Putin said.
He noted that all technical progress achieved between Russian and U.S. military was far from sufficient.
“If we want to be effective, we should not only shoot and launch missile strikes, but reach a political settlement. We should encourage those forces inside the country to work together, as the conflict is complex and multifaceted,” Putin said.
Russia’s air force has been launching airstrikes in Syria since Sept. 30.
According to a Defense Ministry’s latest report, Russia has intensified attacks against the Islamic State, destroying a total of 86 targets in the last 24 hours, including command posts, field headquarters, ammunition depots, explosives factories, field camps and bases, as well as vehicles and other equipment.