FM Çavuşoğlu, Russian counterpart Lavrov discuss Syria over phone call

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov discussed the current situation of Syria during a phone conversation on Tuesday.

The phone call was conducted on the request of Russia, diplomatic sources said.

According to a written statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ministers continued to exchange opinions on the current situation on Syria.

Both ministers agreed that military campaigns in Syria should stop and oppositional groups should be separated from terrorist organizations, the statement added.

It was also stated that the foreign ministers underlined the importance of approving practical steps for the preparation of the planned meeting in Astana, which will take place upon the invitation of Kazakhstan's government and in accordance with the UN Security Council decision on the political resolution process in Syria, as soon as possible.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov also conducted a phone call on Monday.
Later on, Lavrov said that Russia plans to boost cooperation with Ankara and Tehran on Syria.
"We will further build our cooperation with Ankara, Tehran and other countries in the region on the Syrian question," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

Daily Sabah