MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday voiced to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu by phone his concern over Ankara’s actions in northern Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

"The Russian side expressed concern over the actions of Turkey’s Armed Forces and Ankara-controlled opposition detachments in the northern part of the country, over their consequences for the process of the Syrian conflict settlement," the ministry said.

The statement said the conversation occurred on Turkey’s initiative.

Experts will go ahead with consultations

The ministry says the sides "discussed topical issues of Russian-Turkish relations, including progress in the implementation of agreements achieved between the Russian and Turkish presidents in St. Petersburg on August 9 within the framework of the common understanding bilateral cooperation should be restored step by step."

"There was an exchange of opinion on the situation in Syria," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "Russia voiced concern over the operation the Turkish army and Syrian opposition groups it controlled were conducting in the northern part of that country and their effects on the process of settling the Syrian conflict. It was agreed that experts would go ahead with consultations for the purpose of cooperation in implementing UN Security Council resolutions on Syria.