U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said talks between the United States and Russia on military cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria are nearing an end.
"We are in indeed engaged currently in ongoing conversations, and it is my hope that we are reaching the end of those discussions one way or another," Kerry said as he visited Kenya on August 22.
"In the next days, our teams will meet this week, and depending on where those discussions go, it is very possible, very likely, that Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov and I would meet," he said.
"But that decision has to be made on the basis of where we are in the next couple of days."
Kerry said the "Syrian travesty" had gone on for too long and it is imperative that powers supporting the Syrian regime -- Russia and Iran -- and those backing the opposition -- the United States and its Middle East partners -- come together to end the fighting.
Kerry has proposed sharing intelligence with Russia to coordinate air strikes against IS and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate the Al-Nusra Front while stopping the Syrian Air Force from attacking moderate rebel groups.
