Hulusi Akar, Lorenzo Guerini, Ben Wallace meet in Istanbul to discuss relations, NATO, Ukraine
ISTANBUL
Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini and British defense chief Ben Wallace met for a tripartite meeting Friday that was hosted by the head of Turkish defense Hulusi Akar.
“In addition to defense and security issues between our countries, we had the opportunity to exchange views on the latest developments in the world and in our region, through cooperation with the defense industry and military education,” Akar said at a news conference in Istanbul after the meeting.
He said the group agreed that it would “continue to openly express our support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
Akar noted that within the framework of the latest developments in Ukraine, the ministers have also revealed in the meetings that there is a need for a cease-fire as soon as possible so that there are no more casualties, civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation does not further deteriorate.
“While we continue to work with Italy and the UK within the framework of our bilateral relations, we had the opportunity to emphasize that, as NATO member countries, solidarity, close cooperation and coordination within the framework of NATO is also important during these meetings,” he said.
