[AP]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the 61st Munich Security Conference on Friday, the State Department announced.
This marked their first in-person meeting since assuming their roles as foreign ministers.
According to the State Department, the two officials discussed key regional issues, including Syria, ISIS, the South Caucasus and Ukraine.
“Secretary Rubio emphasized the need for close cooperation to support a stable and unified Syria that is not a threat to the United States, Türkiye, or the region,” the announcement stated.
“The Secretary noted Türkiye’s leadership in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, our joint efforts to support a just and lasting peace in the South Caucasus, and our shared objective of ending Russia’s war on Ukraine,” it added.
Meanwhile, Anadolu Agency reported that Fidan underscored the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, stressing that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for achieving regional peace.