Russia says Turkey should pay compensation for downed jet

“I think the world benefits when powerful nations with a long history have the ability to be able to find common ground, and today I hope we can find some common ground”, Kerry said in comments released by the State Department. But the United States and Russian Federation have been at odds over Russia’s support for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Mr. Kerry emphasized that his talks had not focused on the immediate fate of the head of the Syrian state but rather on the political transition process.

A peace plan they agreed to said nothing about Assad’s future, but stated that “free and fair elections” would be held within 18 months after Assad’s representatives and opposition figures begin talks on a new constitution.

Russian Federation says its airstrikes since late September have targeted the Islamic State group, but Western governments claim Moscow is bombing mostly moderate Syrian rebels and is primarily concerned with shoring up Assad.

“Armenpress” reports referring to Sputnik International that Kerry announced that Russian Federation and the United States had discussed exchanging data on the locations of anti-terrorist operations, and that Washington is not pursuing a policy of isolating Russian Federation.

The United States has pushed for a more assertive Turkish contribution in fighting the Islamic State, particularly in securing the border with Syria, but also in seeing more Turkish air strikes devoted to Islamic State.

In calling for Assad to step down, the Obama administration has repeatedly argued that the dictator serves as a magnet and recruiting aid for the jihadists of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other groups engaged in the conflict. The U.S., Russian Federation and others hope those talks will begin early next year.

The statement appeared to be the most explicit sign yet that the U.S.is softening its policy towards Assad and marked a significant rhetorical shift for the US towards Russia’s policy in Syria, which previously American officials have said was nearly fundamentally at odds with their own. Last week, a meeting in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, saw some Syrian opposition groups agreeing to form a united group for negotiating with Assad.

Still, it reflects that Washington and Moscow now realize they must work together for an end to the conflict and have basically agreed to defer the question of Assad staying or going in favor of getting a process rolling.

US-Russia ties have also been strained over the crisis in Ukraine, but the US side said it would not be drawn into bargaining with Russia over the sanctions it imposed over Moscow’s interference there.

Kerry did take a brief break to walk in central Moscow.

Kerry last visited Russia in May for talks that focused on Ukraine, where a pro-Russian separatist rebellion continues to simmer in the two regions nearest Russia.