19/06/2012 11:04
Obama and Putin released a joint statement
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have urged an immediate end to violence in Syria, the BBC reports.
In a joint statement following their first meeting since Mr Putin returned to the presidency, they said they shared a belief that Syrians should determine their own future.
Mr Putin said the two countries had found "many common points" on Syria.
"In order to stop the bloodshed in Syria, we call for an immediate cessation of all violence," the leaders said in a joint statement.
The two countries have been at odds over how to resolve the crisis.
Russia and China have twice blocked US-backed UN draft resolutions critical of Syria.
Both countries argue that pushing the government from power using external pressure is unacceptable.
The meeting of the two leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico came amid unconfirmed reports that two Russian ships were preparing to set sail for Syria.
The two amphibious vessels are apparently on a mission to protect Russian citizens and remove equipment if necessary from the naval base in Tartus.
BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus says that, if confirmed, the deployment of the ships suggests that the Russians are taking prudent precautions in the event of the Syrian regime collapsing.