British Prime Minister Discusses Bilateral Relations and International Developments with Turkish and Ukrainian Presidents
London, September 23 (KUNA) – British Prime Minister Andy Burnham held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on bilateral relations and a number of regional and international issues, foremost among them developments in the war in Ukraine. The British Prime Minister’s Office stated in two statements issued on Wednesday that the meetings took place on Tuesday in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
It clarified that Burnham discussed with President Erdogan the strong bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and Turkey, and ways to enhance the benefits for both countries. Both sides agreed to double efforts to complete negotiations on an updated free trade agreement.
Regarding international issues, Burnham expressed his gratitude to President Erdogan for his support of recent British measures targeting illegal settlements in the West Bank, emphasizing the need to translate support for the two-state solution into concrete steps. The statement added that the two sides also discussed security in the Black Sea and agreed on the necessity of reaching an energy truce between Russia and Ukraine during the winter. Burnham also expressed his appreciation for the Turkish President’s efforts aimed at bringing peace to the region.
The Prime Minister’s Office noted that in a separate meeting with President Zelenskyy, Burnham discussed the challenges of the upcoming winter and the proposal to reach an energy truce, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s continued support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy briefed Burnham on the latest developments in peace negotiations, and both sides stressed the necessity of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s participation in serious talks to end the war, as well as the need to continue increasing pressure on Russia through sanctions to push it to the negotiating table. (End) M.R.N. / M.N.F.
