Russia, Egypt call for quick Syria ceasefire

Russia and Egypt called for a ceasefire in Syria "as quickly as possible", President Vladimir Putin said Friday, after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi. "Russia and Egypt support a ceasefire in Syria as soon as possible and the launch of negotiations," between the regime and rebels, the Russian president said following the meeting in the black city resort of Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be held. The two leaders said they wanted Syria to find its own solution to the crisis, now in its third year, without "external intrusion". Along with China, Russia is the only world power to have stayed allied with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, vetoing three rounds of UN Security Council resolutions against his government. Russia has though repeatedly called for an end to the conflict, which started in March 2011 and has killed more than 70,000 people, according to UN figures.