Russia's defense chief Sergey Shoygu spoke to his Turkish counterpart in a phone call on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Syria, Moscow announced in a statement.
Safety of navigation in the Black Sea related to grain exports from Ukraine was also on the agenda of the call between Shoygu and Türkiye's National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that the phone call took place at the initiative of the Turkish side.
"The main attention was paid to the exchange of views and assessments of the situation in Ukraine and Syria. The defense ministers discussed in detail the safety of navigation in the Black Sea in connection with solving the problem of grain export from the territory of Ukraine.
"The importance of continuing close cooperation in Syria aimed at maintaining long-term stability in the region was noted. Russian-Turkish contacts on these issues will continue," the ministry said.
During the call, Akar emphasized the importance of urgently declaring a cease-fire in Ukraine "to prevent further loss of life, restore peace and stability in the region, and improve the deteriorating humanitarian situation," according to a statement released by the Turkish National Defense Ministry.
To prevent the looming risk of international food crisis, measures that can be taken to safely transport grain, sunflower, and other agricultural products out of Ukraine were also discussed, said the statement.
About Syria, the Turkish defense minister urged action against attempts to disrupt the stability in the region, where he said it was "unacceptable" that terrorists are present.
