Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Antalya, and will take part in a trilateral meeting of the Astana process guarantor states (Russia, Iran, Turkey) on Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday.
“A bilateral meeting with the participation of our minister and a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers – guarantors of the Astana process will be held in Antalya,” Bogdanov announced at the opening of the 11th Middle East Conference hosted by the Valdai International Discussion Club.
Bogdanov noted that Russia and Turkey were also conducting a dialogue between the military. “Our leadership at the Hmeimim airbase has very advanced and effective contacts with the Turkish military,” the deputy minister added.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry source said earlier that Lavrov had confirmed in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu that he would participate in a diplomatic forum scheduled to be held in Antalya on March 11-13, as well as in the Astana meeting on Syria.
In his turn, Cavusoglu said earlier that a meeting on Syria in the Astana format was scheduled a day before the diplomatic forum in Antalya. The previous international meeting on Syria was held on December 21-22, 2021 in Nur-Sultan at the level of special representatives of the guarantor countries.
