Russian and US delegations hold meeting in Istanbul as part of normalization efforts

By Muhammet Tarhan and Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The delegations of Russia and the US held a six-and-a-half-hour meeting on Thursday at the residence of the US Consulate General in Istanbul to discuss operation of their respective embassies as part of the normalization of relations between the two countries, sources said.

The meeting started at 9.50 a.m. local time (0650GMT) and ended at 4.20 p.m.

After the session, the Russian delegation left the residence and no statement was made.

The first meeting between the two countries' delegations was held on Feb. 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss bilateral relations and efforts to end the now over three-year-long war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, preparations are also underway for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Türkiye has reiterated its readiness to fully support peace efforts, including hosting negotiations.