Kerry, Lavrov: Scheduled date for Geneva II crucial

US State Secretary John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov both stressed the importance of holding Geneva II on its scheduled date, and that talks between all parties in Syria was the only way to solve their differences. The US believes that the only pre-conditions there are for attending the upcoming meeting is supporting its Geneva I predecessor, Kerry said at a joint press conference following the talks with his Russian counterpart. The US and Russia had both agreed they would be pursuing efforts to encourage Syrian parties to attend Geneva II, said Kerry. He said both nations do not seek to highlight their own solution over the other, but that the parties involved will be the ones whom will pursue this - with the US and Russia providing a medium for these efforts. Encouraging a ceasefire within Syria was also a point the two chief diplomats discussed. "We talked today about the possibility of trying to encourage a ceasefire, maybe a localised ceasefire beginning with Aleppo (north of Syria)," Kerry said. Both hope the ceasefire could be in place before the talks, along with plans for prisoner exchanges and the opening of humanitarian corridors. "What can be done before the beginning of the conference should be done," said Lavrov, meanwhile, who reiterated his country's efforts to reach the goal ahead of Geneva II. However, the Russian foreign minister added that these issues would not be a precondition to the talks. Russia also supports Iran's attendance, said Lavrov, while the US views it necessary for Iran to accept a political transition as a precondition.