ANKARA, June 27. /TASS/. Several rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine are not enough to settle the conflict in Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
"During the previous round of talks, the parties again agreed to exchange prisoners of war. But at the same time, they stated their positions [exchanged memorandums], which will be the focus of the next meeting. Now, the parties are officially aware of each other’s positions. But, as I said earlier, the problem [of the Ukrainian settlement] is very complicated. This is not a matter that can be settled in just a few meetings," he said in an interview with the A haber television channel.
After the exchange of memorandums, the parties’ "initial negotiating positions have been formulated," he noted. "Typically, such talks begin from a rather distant point. If talks proceed well, if the parties want to reach a compromise, if a mediator is helping, the parties will be able to find some common ground, we think."
He stressed that his country’s leadership sees the importance of diplomacy and efforts to provide an environment for a "meaningful and substantive meeting" between Russia and Ukraine.