PARIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron held phone talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday to assess the situation in Syria and discuss how they would better coordinate to eradicate terrorists and promote stability in the region, the French presidency said.

During the conversation, Macron warned that "the situation in Syria remains very deteriorated with significant risks of regional and international security."

Putin spoke about ongoing talks with Iran and Turkey.

Macron told Putin that the French-Russian coordination mechanism on Syria, which involved all the concerned states, should pursue the military offensive against the Islamic State (IS) on the ground as Washington is preparing to pull out its forces from Syria.

The French president also reiterated the need to protect civilians and to guarantee "a full, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid," the Elysee said in a press release.