MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia's deputy foreign minister on Saturday (Jan 14) declined to comment on reported calls between president-elect Donald Trump's incoming national security advisor and Moscow's ambassador to Washington.

Asked to comment on the reported calls, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti news agency that "we don't comment on daily working contacts of our embassy or foreign ministry representatives with colleagues from other countries, including the United States."

The Washington Post reported that Flynn telephoned Moscow's ambassador to Washington Sergei Kislyak, several times on Dec 28.

It said Kislyak extended an invitation for the incoming administration to attend peace talks on Syria to be hosted by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan, which are planned for January 23, three days after Trump's inauguration.

Trump's incoming press secretary, Sean Spicer, said the pair spoke by phone on Dec 28 about "the logistics of setting up a call with the president of Russia and the president-elect after he was sworn in, and they exchanged logistical information on how to initiate and schedule that call."

He added: "That was it. Plain and simple."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that invitations to attend the peace talks in Astana were likely to be sent out next week, with both Turkey and Russia agreeing that the United States should be involved.