U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by telephone Monday, the White House said. President Obama called to convey his "condolences on the tragic hospital fire outside of Moscow that killed dozens last week, and to reiterate his appreciation for the close cooperation that the United States has received from Russia on the Boston marathon attack," the White House said in a statement. "The two Leaders discussed cooperation on counterterrorism and security issues going forward, including with respect to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. President Obama and President Putin also reviewed the situation in Syria, with President Obama underscoring concern over Syrian chemical weapons," the statement said. According to the White House, Obama agreed to closely monitor the situation in Syria and stay in close consultation with Russia on the matter. He also instructed Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to continue their discussions on Syria. "Finally, both Presidents noted that they look forward to meeting in person in June at the time of the G-8 meeting in Northern Ireland and again in September for a bilateral Summit in Russia," the White House said.
