The head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov is expected in Turkey on Friday and Saturday to participate in the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya (south), announced the Russian and Turkish foreign ministries.
According to Russian ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who spoke to the press, Lavrov will meet his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on this occasion, which was confirmed to AFP by Turkish ministry spokesperson Oncu Keçeli.
Links with the two belligerents
Lavrov's previous visit to Turkey dates back to April 2023: he met Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
The Russian minister also participated in the Antalya Forum in March 2022, a few weeks after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and visited the Turkish capital in June of the same year.
This forum brings together heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, businessmen and researchers every year in this seaside resort.
Turkey, a country bordering the Black Sea like Russia and Ukraine, has managed since the start of the conflict to maintain ties with the two belligerents.
It has been heavily involved in exports of Ukrainian grain by sea, via a secure corridor under the aegis of the UN, while being regularly singled out for its active assistance in circumventing Western sanctions against Russia.
Sixteen Turkish entities are thus designated in the latest set of sanctions announced last week by the White House.