The U.S. and Russia conducted last-minute negotiations Thursday over a fresh bid for a Syrian peace deal ahead of an expected high-level meeting in Geneva. 


Foreign ministers from the two powers, which support opposite sides in the five-year conflict, were poised to hold a "personal meeting" in the Swiss city to push for a peace agreement, according to the Russian side. 


However, Washington did not confirm the face-to-face talks, with a spokesman for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry saying that negotiations were still ongoing. 


And U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told BBC radio Thursday there was "quite a long way to go" before a final deal could be struck. 


Both sides have agreed that a deal would involve a durable ceasefire, humanitarian access to conflict-wracked areas and a resumption of peace talks. 


U.S. President Barack Obama held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China but failed to bridge their differences. 


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that new U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine crisis have hampered joint efforts by both sides to resolve "regional conflicts" -- a reference to the Syria war

Source: NNA