EN
11 November 2013 - 06:20 AMT

Russian President, Saudi King focus on Syria, Iran in phone conversation

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday, November 10 discussed international issues over the phone, the Kremlin said in a statement, according to RIA Novosti.

During the conversation requested by the Russian side, the two leaders focused on the Syrian conflict and the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, the statement said, without elaborating.

According to UN statistics, more than 100,000 people have died in the 2 1/2-year civil war in Syria. The number of refugees caused by the conflict hit 2 million in September.

Western countries suspect Iran of using its nuclear program to develop atomic weapons, a claim that Iran has consistently denied. Tehran claims it needs atomic technology for producing electricity, although it has some of the world’s largest reserves of oil and gas.