WASHINGTON, March 24, 2017 — The Defense Department today held a video conference with Russian defense ministry counterparts, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis announced in a statement.

The call was co-chaired by Ken Handelman, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for International Security Affairs, and Navy Rear Adm. Michael J. Dumont, the Joint Staff’s deputy director for strategic initiatives.

“This was the latest session of our dialogue with the Russian ministry of defense under the memorandum of understanding for the safety of flight in Syria to ensure that each side continues to adhere to agreed-upon measures to prevent incidents in Syria,” Davis said.

Department officials discussed ongoing work regarding the safety of operations since the two sides last met, he said, and each side reiterated the utility of adhering to the memorandum of understanding to avoid accidents and misunderstandings in Syria.

Today's meeting follows previous video conferences between the Defense Department and the Russian defense ministry on this topic.