U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry voiced his country's support on Wednesday for Russian efforts to bring Syria's warring factions together for talks to end the four-year conflict. "We hope that the Russian efforts will make a difference", Kerry told the Russian News Agency (Sputnik), urging the Syrian government to put the interest of its people before its own. Kerry praised the Un's efforts to apply ceasefire in Syrian town, starting with Aleppo, adding that the situation in Syria is a top priority for the U.S. Russia plays a major role in solving the crisis in Syria, as Russian FM, Sergei Lavrov called for a new round of talks with equal participation of both sides in a meeting with the UN special envoy for Syrian crisis Staffan De Mistura, October 2013.