The European Union (EU) and Russia should work together to find common approaches to the Syrian crisis, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said on Monday.

Admitting that the EU and Russia "might have some diverging assessments" on the crisis, Van Rompuy stressed that both sides "fully agree" with the peace plan tabled by UN/Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

"We fully agree that the Annan plan as a whole provides the best opportunity to break the cycle of violence in Syria, avoiding a civil war, and in finding a peaceful lasting solution," Van Rompuy told a press conference after the 29th Russia-EU summit.

He also urged the Syrian government to immediately cease the violence and provide its full support to the UN Supervision Mission in the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made no comments on Syria at the same press conference.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that unfolding events in Syria demonstrated that there is no alternative to Annan's peace plan, vowing that Moscow will maintain contacts with Syrian authorities and the opposition to facilitate a substantive political dialogue.

During the Russia-EU summit on Monday, the two sides also exchanged views on bilateral relations, visa-free travel, energy cooperation and hot international affairs.