ISTANBUL, April 1. /TASS/. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has discussed with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov ways of ensuring the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, a diplomatic source in Turkey has told TASS.

"In a telephone conversation, which took place on April 1, regional issues and the safety of shipping in the Black Sea were discussed," the source said.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was necessary to sign an agreement to ensure the safety of commercial navigation in the Black Sea. According to him, in this context, contacts continue in cooperation with the UN to work out new regulations, which will include commitments to ensure the safety of navigation.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, in turn, said that issues of coordinating new rules for navigation in the Black Sea "were raised during contacts" and called them "serious issues that are being looked into." According to him, Turkey's initiative to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea must meet Russia's national interests and the aspirations of the international community, without which one cannot talk about the chances of its approval.