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Erdogan offers Istanbul as venue for further talks on Ukraine — Federation Council speaker

According to Valentina Matviyenko, Ankara holds a balanced position on the issue

ISTANBUL, April 16. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed Istanbul as a venue for continuing negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said after a meeting with the Turkish leader.

"We discussed Ukraine-related negotiations. The Turkish president once again proposed Istanbul as a venue for continuing the talks. Turkey is taking a balanced stance, and we are maintaining contacts and cooperation in this regard," she told reporters on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly.

According to Matviyenko, the meeting with Erdogan also covered a range of international issues, including the situation in the Middle East.

"Turkey and Russia are interested in joint diplomatic efforts to ensure that negotiations between Iran and the United States are successfully concluded and that hostilities cease, preventing further civilian casualties. Negotiations are never easy; they require effort, wisdom, and skill. But they always lead to some result. This is the only way forward for the region, which has been torn apart by the attack on Iran," she added.

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