Russia’s foreign minister and the U.S. secretary of state on Sunday, November 17 discussed cooperation in the preparation for an international conference on Syria and a regular round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported, according to RIA Novosti.

Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry spoke to each other by phone. The conversation was held on the U.S. side's initiative, the ministry 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.