Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday that reaching a permanent peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine is “now quite close”, stressing the steps taken in that direction.
– In my opinion, after four years of war, we are now quite close to permanent peace. At the very least, we see that several areas that are crucial for peace are being discussed in an extremely serious way, Fidan told reporters at the Turkish embassy in Paris after the summit of the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine, reports Anadolia.
Emphasizing the importance of the Paris summit, Fidan said that he represented Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the meeting, and that leaders of countries and institutions such as the EU and NATO were also present.
– Important issues were discussed, he said.
– At the very least, we see that key issues essential to peace are being considered in an extremely serious manner. Turkey also contributed to this process. What we are seeing is that, if signed, this will not just be a peace agreement that ends the war in Ukraine. In the long term, he will determine the modalities of peace between Russia and Europe in the new era. At the same time, it will be a comprehensive agreement that will shape Russia’s regional policies in the future, the Turkish foreign minister added.
Speaking about the topics of the talks, Fidan said they covered issues such as monitoring a possible future ceasefire, preserving Ukraine’s deterrence capability and the possibility of military action in case of ceasefire violations.
– From the very beginning, from the military aspect, according to the instructions of our president, our armed forces have always taken the position that Turkey would take responsibility for the naval component that would be established in case of peace. I believe that significant progress has been made on this issue. Given that Turkey is a NATO member with the largest fleet in the Black Sea, it is only natural that it should take responsibility for the security of the Black Sea. We hope that the peace agreement will be signed as soon as possible, which would prevent further loss of life and bring stability to the region, he added.
Fidan said another session on Tuesday was focused on economic reconstruction of Ukraine in the event of a possible peace deal.
He pointed out the sensitivity of President Erdogan on this issue and said that no country is “more capable than Turkey when it comes to remediating the consequences”.
– We are good at healing both our own wounds and the wounds of people who need help. Economic investments and expertise of our businessmen, especially in the field of infrastructure, are extremely important. We believe that once peace is achieved, Turkey will play a major role in economic revitalization and development, he added.
Fidan said that he also held meetings with heads of state, discussed important issues and discussed topics on the agenda with EU officials.
(Vijesti.ba/Fena)
