Top Turkish, Russian diplomats discuss tourism

By Mehmet Sah Yilmaz

ANKARA (AA) – In a Monday phone call, the top Turkish and Russian diplomats discussed the issue of tourism after the coronavirus crisis, said Turkish diplomatic sources.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov also discussed regional issues, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, but gave no further details.

Tourism has been hard hit by measures to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak, such as lockdowns and travel bans.

Turkey on June 1 began to gradually lift measures designed to curb the spread of COVID-19. The country has done more than 2.33 million coronavirus tests, while at least 137,969 patients from a total of 170,132 have recovered so far, and the death toll stands at 4,692.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Monday signed a decree relaxing border restrictions. Russian nationals will be allowed to travel abroad for the purposes of work, study, and medical treatment, while foreign citizens can enter Russia for medical treatment, Mishustin said at a video conference with the government members.

Turkish seaside resorts normally see millions of Russian tourists every summer.

After first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to 188 countries and regions across the world.

The virus has killed nearly 404,000 people worldwide, with total infections exceeding 7.06 million and nearly 3.16 million people having recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.