LOC15:22
12:22 GMT
ISTANBUL, May 11 (KUNA) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday Turkiye's readiness to host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, reaffirming his country's commitment to mediation efforts in the conflict.
According to a statement, President Erdogan made the offer during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and discussed bilateral relations between Turkiye and Russia, as well as regional and international developments.
During the phone call, President Erdogan welcomes President Putin's recent proposal to resume peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, and emphasized Turkiye's willingness to host negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.
On Saturday, President Putin suggested restarting direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions, proposing next Thursday in Istanbul as a potential date, and also did not rule out the possibility of reaching a binding ceasefire agreement during negotiations.
Istanbul previously hosted several rounds of peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in March 2022, and later in July 2022, Turkey and the UN brokered a landmark grain export deal between the two countries.
The deal allowing for the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea to address the growing global food crisis, and this deal was extended three times before Moscow suspended its participation on July 17, 2023. (end)
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