ANKARA, June 8. /TASS/. The latest contacts between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara were an important sign bilateral relations are proceeding at the normal level, politician and economist Aydin Sezer, Turkey’s former trade representative to Russia, said about bilateral foreign-minister-level talks on Wednesday.
"The Cavusoglu-Lavrov contacts were an important indication that relations between Russia and Turkey proceed normally," he said.
"From the standpoint of diversity it is also important that the meeting, apart from bilateral relations, encompassed regional issues. This was well seen in the presence of Russia’s military delegation," Sezer said. "Turkey sees the grain crisis not only through Ukraine’s eyes. It also takes Russia’s viewpoint into consideration. Ankara has made pretty clear the need for lifting the Western embargoes on agricultural exports from Russia, as well as restrictions on Russia in logistics, insurance and banking."
Sezer believes that the chances to see any progress towards "the establishment of peace in Ukraine" in the near future are slim.
"The influence of the British and US leadership on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is the reason. It explains why he makes such contradictory statements regarding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin," he added.
The Turkish expert appreciated Lavrov’s decision to allow a Ukrainian journalist to ask a question at the final news conference with his Turkish counterpart. "It was extremely important that Lavrov let a Ukrainian journalist ask a question. It was a professional approach," he said.
Lavrov and Cavusoglu held talks at the presidential complex in Ankara on Wednesday. Speaking at a news conference afterwards Lavrov and Cavusoglu told the media that during their talks, which were productive and useful, they discussed Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya. The possibility of grain supplies from Ukrainian ports was touched upon.