Thursday, March 14 2024 15:06

ArmInfo. Issues of the diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and the situation in the South Caucasus were the focus of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin's consultations with his Turkish counterpart, Burak Akcapar, in Ankara, the Russian foreign ministry said.

"The sides discussed issues of the Ukrainian crisis, including prospects for its political and diplomatic settlement. In this context, the Russian side stressed that the US-led collective West  must stop flooding the Kiev regime with weapons, that Ukraine's  leadership must lift the self-ban on talks with Russia and take a  realistic attitude to the new geopolitical realities," the ministry  said.

According to the ministry, the two senior diplomats exchanged views  on the situation in the South Caucasus "with a focus on the  importance of the process of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani  ties and promoting this within regional formats."

"They also reviewed cooperation with Central Asian countries. The  Russian delegation noted the high dynamics of the partnership with  countries of this region," the ministry noted. "The sides also  touched upon some aspects of the Russian-Turkish agenda in the  context of further joint steps geared to expand cooperation and  promote the constructive dialogue between Moscow and Ankara and  agreed to continue contacts."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said that his  country is ready to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine and  offer a venue for potential talks between Moscow and Kiev. Erdogan is  maintaining contacts with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.