G8 leaders meeting in Northern Ireland have backed calls for Syrian peace talks to be held in Geneva "as soon as possible".
After adopting a statement, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the leaders had managed "to overcome fundamental differences".
But no timetable for the Geneva talks was given.
The statement does not mention what role Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could play in the future.
Russia is backing President Assad, while the US and its European allies are supporting the rebels.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin insisted that each of the Syrian sides at the Geneva talks should be able to select their own delegations, sidestepping questions about whether this could leave open a role for Mr Assad.
The communique is largely a reaffirmation of what was said at the Geneva Conference in June 2012, reports the BBC's Jonathan Marcus at the summit in Enniskillen.
Sending signal
The G8 leaders agreed the joint statement on Syria after lengthy discussions at the end their two-day summit.
The seven-point document says that any future transitional government should be "formed by mutual consent".
It stresses that the leaders are united in wanting a negotiated and peaceful end to the conflict that will produce a government "under a top leadership that inspires public confidence."
However, both Russia and the West could interpret such phrasing as their diplomatic success at the summit, correspondents say.
The Kremlin refused to support any statement making Mr Assad's removal from power an explicit goal.
But speaking to reporters after the summit, President Putin said he did not feel "isolated" in Enniskillen despite clashing with other leaders.
At the same time, Mr Cameron pledged at a separate news conference "to learn the lessons from Iraq" by making sure key institutions of the state are maintained through any transition.
The prime minister said it was important to send a signal to the Syrian people that there would be a functioning state once Mr Assad was gone.
This could be seen as encouragement to the Assad supporters perhaps to begin thinking about a future without him, says our correspondent.
The joint statement also condemns "any use of chemical weapons in Syria" and urges both Damascus and the rebels at the Geneva conference "to commit to destroying and expelling from Syria all organisations and individuals affiliated to al-Qaeda and any other non-state actors linked to terrorism".
On the humanitarian front, the G8 leaders agreed to provide nearly $1.5bn (£960m) in new funds to help people affected by the raging conflict.
More than 4.25 million people have been displaced since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.
More than 90,000 people have been killed, according to UN estimates.
In Enniskillen, the leaders also signed a declaration committing themselves to "fight the scourge of tax evasion" and promote free trade.
Vladimir Putin: Russia and US to draft Syria peace plan
Russia and the US will be responsible for drafting the "underlying principles" of a settlement to help end the Syrian crisis, the Russian president has confirmed.
Speaking at the end of the two-day summit in Northern Ireland, Vladimir Putin said some G8 members had agreed with the Russian position, that there was no proof that the ruling Assad regime had used chemical weapons, but that there were cases of opposition forces being caught with them.
The Russian president said that all evidence would be presented to the UN Security Council with Russia, as a permanent member, "actively assessing the situation".
via BBC News
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How sad it is!
How miserable what's been happening to the people, especially kids in Syria!
You have no known person in Syria?
Still I and you live in the same world.
Do you and do I think this such civil war in Syria is none of our business?
You know the answer if you have heart as human-being.
Why don't we make time to have peace talk?
Why don't we find some group which consider peace as the most valuable and the necessary in the world?
You know I am saying MANNAM International Association led by a peace leader, Man Hee Lee :)
We actualize Peace in our real lives!
Come and join us!
MANNAM International Association
Yes...
답글삭제peace is not achieved from cold-blooded wars...
peace is not achieved from trample others' mind and thoughts...
peace can be achieved by understanding each other...
To understand each other,
we need to talk each other without any prejudice...
To have a talk each other,
we need to stop wars and fights right now...
These are what MANNAM and Man Hee Lee are doing... XD