ANTALYA, March 3. /TASS/. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called for intensifying dialogue with Russia on Syria.
"There are a lot of questions concerning Syria. We need to maintain a closer dialogue and exchange of views on this matter. We really need to dedicate more time to these discussions," he said, commenting on his talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.
"We [with Lavrov] agreed to conduct this work. Because the issues of the return of refugees, the work on a new constitution, and anti-terrorist efforts are in a state freeze in Syria. We need to accelerate the work on these topics. They directly concern Turkey’s national security," he said, adding that his country will "continue discussing these topics with both Russia and other countries."
He also said that his talks with Lavrov mostly focused on regional issues. "We spoke about the peace process in the Caucasus. We discussed security in the Black Sea. Dialogue on these matters continues via various channels and Turkey is taking part in it," Fidan said.
Lavrov and Fidan held talks on the margins of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum on March 1. According to the Russian foreign ministry, the two top diplomats discussed the situation in the Middle East, in North Africa, and in the Black Sea region.