Cavusoglu, Lavrov discuss Ukraine, food security ahead of G20 meeting

Turkish and Russian foreign ministers have held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sergey Lavrov had a thorough exchange on international and regional affairs with particular emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry's statement said on Thursday.

"The importance was emphasised of further coordination ... to ensure the safety of civilians and economic operators in Ukraine, including foreign ones," it said, adding that issues including interaction in the Black Sea, were also touched upon.

"The ministers expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of the political dialogue between our countries at the highest and high level in 2022. They confirmed their readiness to continue close contacts between the leadership of Russia and Türkiye, including in the face-to-face format," the statement said.

Cavusoglu in a tweet said he discussed with Lavrov "war in Ukraine, food security & Syria."

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Global food crisis

Russia launched in February what it calls a "special military operation" to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine. 

The West in reaction imposed tough sanctions on Moscow, and is providing Kiev both economic and military support.

The military attack has also created a global food crisis as blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports is choking global food supply chains.

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