Turkish Foreign Minister Says Ready to Meet Russian Counterpart at Any Time

© AP Photo / Andrew HarnikMevlut Cavusoglu. File photo
Mevlut Cavusoglu. File photo - Sputnik International
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The minister is ready to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that he is ready to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov at any time.

"We can meet at any time when the possibility arises in the future," Cavusoglu told RIA Novosti. "I have no problems with meeting my dear friend Sergei Lavrov."

Cavusoglu added that Ankara would like to normalize relations with Moscow after downing Russia's Su-24 military aircraft.

"We need to keep diplomatic channels open for further discussion on how to resolve the situation," he said.

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According to the top Turkish diplomat, he held "an hour-long bilateral meeting" with Lavrov on the sidelines of the OSCE foreign ministers' summit in Belgrade in December.

Russian-Turkish relations deteriorated following the downing of a Russian Su-24 aircraft by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet in Syria on November 24. In the wake of the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing restrictive economic measures on Ankara.

The measures against Ankara, which came into effect on January 1, include bans or restrictions on the activities of Turkish organizations in Russia, as well as curbs on Russian companies employing Turkish citizens, especially in the construction industry.

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