America News Agency

European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas announced that she had held comprehensive talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Kallas emphasized the importance of developing good-neighborly relations and advancing the settlement process in Cyprus. She said she had raised the vote held in Libya the previous day concerning the maritime jurisdiction memorandum of understanding with Türkiye, arguing that the agreement violated the sovereign rights of third countries.

Referring to what she described as Russia's dangerous escalation in the Black Sea, Kallas stated that pressure on Moscow needed to be increased to bring the war to an end. She noted that the European Union and Türkiye supported an arrangement that would guarantee freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

Kallas also reported that developments in the South Caucasus and the Middle East were discussed during the meeting. She described the Houthis' attacks against Saudi Arabia and Yemen as terrorist tactics and said they must end.

Kallas further stated that Iran had made maritime transport through the Strait of Hormuz dangerous and costly, emphasizing that freedom of navigation should be restored without the imposition of any transit fees or charges.