Russia and Turkey have postponed ministerial-level talks which were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov decided to put off the talks during a phone call on Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
"The two countries deputy ministers will continue contacts and talks in the period ahead. Minister-level talks will be held at a later date," the ministry said in a statement.
File photo of a boy who wears a Libyan flag in Benghazi, Libya. /Reuters
File photo of a boy who wears a Libyan flag in Benghazi, Libya. /Reuters
Lavrov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had been set to visit Istanbul for the discussions. The Russian foreign ministry said discussion will be held on the date of the ministers' meeting.
The United Nations said this week that warring sides had begun new ceasefire talks in Libya, where Ankara supports an internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), whose forces have in recent weeks repelled an assault on Tripoli by the Libyan National Army (LNA).
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Libya civil war: a turning point?
Russia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, has backed commander of Libya's eastern-based army Khalifa Haftar.
In Syria, Turkey and Russia say they are working to bring a political solution to the conflict.
Although a Turkish-Russian brokered deal three months ago produced a ceasefire that halted fighting in northwest Syria's Idlib, air strikes have once again hit the region in the last week.
(Cover: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference at the House of the Estates in Helsinki, Finland, March 3, 2020. /Reuters)
(With input from agencies)