The Secretary-General met the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, yesterday evening.

The Secretary-General raised with the Foreign Minister his strong concerns over the Ukraine situation, the need to fully respect the country's territorial integrity and the importance of respecting the human rights of all communities throughout the country.  He expressed his alarm that some parties might be planning to take hasty actions that could have very serious implications for the region and the entire international community. 

On Syria, the Secretary-General deeply regretted the absence of progress on the diplomatic track.  He discussed with the Foreign Minister measures that could be taken to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation in parts of the country.

Regarding Cyprus, the Secretary-General underlined the importance of Turkey's role in resolving that long-standing conflict, and hoped the Cypriot leaders would show readiness to make the compromises required in order to keep up the positive momentum.