Obama, Putin discuss Syria, Iran, set June meeting

(AP) WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcoming Russian cooperation on international efforts to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The White House says the two men also discussed the ongoing violence in Syria, a topic that still divides Washington and Moscow.

The White House says Putin and Obama agreed to hold their own meeting in June on the sidelines of the upcoming meeting of leading industrial nations in Northern Ireland. Obama also told Putin he looked forward to visiting St. Petersburg for the meeting of leading rich and developing nations in September.

The White House says Putin and Obama welcome "substantive and constructive consultations" by Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over a political transition in Syria.