French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Tuesday Russia should work together with France to resolve the Syrian crisis.
He thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the offer of assistance in the evacuation of French journalists from Syria.
In a telephone conversation initiated by the French side, Fillon congratulated Putin on his election as Russia’s next president, Putin’s aide Dmitry Peskov said.
Putin was elected for a third term at Sunday’s elections with just under 64 percent of the vote. His nearest rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, took just under 18 percent.