MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and Turkey’s ambassador to Moscow, Tanju Bilgic, met on Wednesday to urge an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"In a detailed way, the sides touched upon the discussion in the UN Security Council and General Assembly of the Middle East issues with a special emphasis on the escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory, primarily in the Gaza Strip. Both sides emphasized the urgent need for stopping the bloodshed through an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The importance of establishing unimpeded and wide humanitarian access and preventing the crisis from expanding to other countries in the region was also noted, the Foreign Ministry added.

Vershinin and Bilgic discussed unimpeded supplies of agricultural products and fertilizers, including those from Russia, to world markets in the context of ensuring global food security.

"The free supply of Russian grain fertilizers to the poorest countries was also considered," the ministry pointed out.

The diplomats met on December 18 at the request of the Turkish side.