MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu held a meeting in Singapore on Thursday in order to discuss bilateral and global issues, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the meeting held on the sidelines of the ASEAN events.

According to the ministry, the parties "discussed pressing issues concerning the development of bilateral relations and issues on the global agenda."

Talks between Lavrov and Cavusolgu came amid rising tensions between Ankara and Washington in the wake of the United States’ decision to impose sanctions on the Turkish interior and justice ministers. Cavusoglu also held a meeting with US Secretary of State later on Thursday.

On August 1, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul over Ankara’s refusal to let American pastor Andrew Brunson return to the United States. The step was taken in accordance with the so-called Magnitsky Act passed by the US Congress in 2016, which is aimed against persons whom Washington believes to be involved in corruption and human rights violations. Thus, Turkey is now facing US sanctions pressure along with Russia.