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BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country and other western European powers need to work with Russia as well as the United States to solve the crisis in Syria.
"To be successful in the Syrian civil war and the fight against Islamic terrorism, we need cooperation with the United States of America, but also cooperation with Russia. Otherwise there won't be a solution, and Germany commits itself to that," Merkel said.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says he's seen growing support for creating an international contact group to solve the Syrian conflict. He made the comment after the meeting with his counterparts from Russia, France, and Ukraine.
Ukraine was due to be the main topic at Saturday's meeting but the foreign ministry in Berlin said Syria would likely also be discussed.
A delegation source said Steinmeier and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a lengthy exchange about Syria on the sidelines of the meeting. Both agreed to support the plan of UN Syrian envoy, Staffan de Mistura, to create a Syrian contact group.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
