UN chief, Turkish president promise to work for peace in Ukraine

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Ankara, Turkey, April 25, 2022. (Turkish Presidential Palace/Handout via Xinhua)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "reaffirmed that their common objective is to end the war as soon as possible and to create conditions to end the suffering of civilians," said a UN spokesman.

UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to ending the conflict in Ukraine and to creating conditions to end the suffering of civilians, said a UN spokesman.

Guterres met Erdogan in the Turkish capital Ankara on Monday. The UN chief expressed his support for Turkey's ongoing diplomatic efforts in relation to the conflict in Ukraine, Farhan Haq, Guterres' deputy spokesman, told reporters in New York.

"He and President Erdogan reaffirmed that their common objective is to end the war as soon as possible and to create conditions to end the suffering of civilians. They stressed the urgent need for effective access through humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians and deliver much-needed assistance to impacted communities," said Haq.

They agreed to stay in contact to follow up on ongoing initiatives, he added.

Guterres and Erdogan also discussed the impact of the Ukraine conflict on regional and global issues, including energy, food and finance, said Haq.

Guterres was in Ankara on Monday before traveling to Moscow and Kiev. Turkey, a major mediator, has also indicated its willingness to become a security guarantor of Ukraine.

The UN secretary-general will visit Moscow and have a working meeting and lunch with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday. He will be received by President Vladimir Putin.

Guterres then will travel to Ukraine, where he will have a working meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and will be received by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. He will also meet with staff of UN agencies in Ukraine to discuss the scaling up of humanitarian assistance.