Russia is always ready to provide a platform for a meeting between Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian Presidential Special Envoy to the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters on Monday.
"Russia is always ready, of course," he said in response to a related question.
Following the August 5 talks in Sochi between Turkish and Russian Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, Turkish media reported that Ankara was discussing the possibility of direct contacts between the Turkish and Syrian leadership. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in this connection that talks between Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are not planned and that Ankara and Damascus currently have contacts only through their special services. For his part, the Turkish leader said his country does not aim to overthrow al-Assad, is in favor of Syria's territorial integrity and prefers diplomacy to solve existing problems.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS