Putin, Merkel discuss Syria in phone call – Kremlin

President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone conversation stressed the importance of a thorough and impartial investigation to be conducted by the mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Syria, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. They expressed readiness to promote the resumption of political and diplomatic efforts over the Syrian dossier, including those on the Geneva and Astana platforms, and to go ahead with bilateral contacts on these issues. Putin stressed the actions by a group of Western countries, which committed “an act of aggression against Syria, grossly violated the norms of international law” and substantially damaged the peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis, TASS reported, citing the statement. Putin and Merkel also exchanged views on the issues related to the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.