The two Presidents agreed to work closely on hot-button international topics pertaining to Syria, the Middle East peace process, Iran, North Korea, and ballistic missile defence plans. In discussing the Syrian crisis, the President of Russia noted the need to rapidly bring an end to hostilities. The leaders instructed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry to continue active contacts and to focus on developing possible new initiatives aimed at a political settlement of the crisis.