Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on Friday agreed to work closely on Syria and the Middle East peace process, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders made the pledge when they had a telephone conversation on Friday, the Kremlin's press service said.

"The leaders agreed to work closely together on high-profile issues related to Syria, the Middle East peace process," the Kremlin's press service said.

The presidents also discussed issues concerning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and missile defense.

"The leaders shared the common desire to avoid steps capable of negatively affecting bilateral relations," it said, without giving further details.

The press service said Putin reaffirmed his invitation to Obama for an official visit to Russia.

"The presidents agreed to have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland," it added.