Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan Meets with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow
Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan Meets with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in the Russian capital, Moscow.
During the portion of the meeting open to the press, Fidan expressed his satisfaction at being in Moscow once again and praised the productive program. He said, “Yesterday, I was received by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, and I had the opportunity to convey the sincere greetings, best wishes, and important messages of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”
Touching on Turkey-Russia relations, Fidan stated:
“Our relations are progressing in a very healthy manner in line with the direction set by our leaders. In our rapidly changing region, the deep-rooted relations between Turkey and Russia play an important role in ensuring stability and security. The fact that Russia chose Istanbul for direct negotiations with Ukraine reflects our countries’ shared understanding aimed at establishing stability.”
Fidan noted that his talks with Lavrov would cover all aspects of the multidimensional relations between the two countries, including energy, economy, and regional issues, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.
“Our cooperation in trade and investment is developing”
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov also expressed his pleasure at hosting Fidan and his delegation in Moscow.
Emphasizing that the intensive and comprehensive agenda between Russia and Turkey is shaped by Presidents Putin and Erdoğan, Lavrov highlighted Fidan’s meeting with Putin the previous day and said:
“Our mutual business-oriented and results-driven approach to deepening our partnership was reaffirmed during yesterday’s meeting. We have many important plans for bilateral cooperation. We aim to eliminate unlawful external barriers in the topics discussed. Our cooperation in trade and investment is growing and will continue to grow.”
Lavrov stated that he and Fidan would discuss matters related to implementing the goals set by their respective leaders, adding:
“Russia and Turkey are involved in international initiatives aimed at improving the situation in various regions, including North Africa and the Middle East. As President Putin mentioned yesterday, we value Turkey’s role in potentially facilitating direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side once again.”
Lavrov further stated, “We share a common perspective with Turkey on the Palestinian issue. What is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is unacceptable.”
He added, “For a second round of negotiations with Ukraine, we may once again turn to our Turkish friends.”
Joint Press Conference by Foreign Ministers Fidan and Lavrov
Speaking at a joint press conference following his meeting with Lavrov in Moscow, Foreign Minister Fidan said they also discussed international issues.
Fidan noted that there have been significant developments over the past five months in establishing political and economic stability and security in Syria.
Despite ongoing “disinformation campaigns,” he highlighted that the Syrian government has largely gained the support of both the public and the international community. He added that Syria is continuously improving its capabilities and capacity in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.
Pointing out that Turkey supports efforts to unify all military groups in Syria under a national army and centralized command, Fidan stressed the importance of all relevant parties using their influence to implement the memorandum signed on March 10 between President Ahmed Shara and Ferhad Abdi Şahin.
Fidan emphasized the importance of the decisions by the United States and the European Union to lift sanctions, underlining that Turkey, under President Erdoğan’s leadership, has conducted intensive diplomatic efforts to have these sanctions lifted and that they are pleased with the results of those efforts.
“Turkey and Russia will continue working to preserve Syria’s unity”
Fidan said that he and Lavrov discussed all these matters during today’s meeting, adding:
“As Turkey and Russia, we will continue to work for the preservation of Syria’s unity and territorial integrity. At the same time, we will continue our efforts to ensure the Syrian people achieve prosperity and stability.”
He noted that in addition to Syria, he and Lavrov also discussed one of the region’s most pressing crises — Gaza and the Palestinian issue.
“The ongoing genocide and humanitarian tragedy there must be stopped immediately,” Fidan said. “Otherwise, as we have always stated, no one will be able to prevent a major chaos and escalation that will engulf Israel as well. This much blood, suffering, and pain cannot go unanswered. It must stop immediately. Humanity and the international community must do everything they can to recover from this test they have failed. We will continue to work with Russia in this regard,” he concluded.