Çavuşoğlu, Lavrov discuss Ukraine, food security

Photo: AA/File

Foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia held a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Russia's Foreign Ministry said yesterday (July 7).

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Sergey Lavrov had a thorough exchange on international and regional affairs with particular emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, the statement said.

Yesterday, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced that Turkey's ambassador would be summoned over the country's failure to seize a Russia-flagged ship that was allegedly carrying some 4,000 tons of grains "stolen from Ukraine."

In late February Russia started the invasion of Ukraine in what it calls a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" the country. The West in reaction imposed sanctions on Moscow and is providing Kyiv with both economic and military support.

The war has also created a global food crisis as the blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports is choking global food supply chains.

"The importance was emphasized of further coordination ... to ensure the safety of civilians and economic operators in Ukraine, including foreign ones," it said, adding that issues including interaction in the Black Sea, were also touched upon.

"The ministers expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of the political dialogue between our countries at the highest and high level in 2022. They confirmed their readiness to continue close contacts between the leadership of Russia and Türkiye, including in the face-to-face format," the statement said.

Cavusoglu in a tweet said he discussed with Lavrov "war in Ukraine, food security & Syria." (VK)