UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a meeting in Ankara discussed efforts for a diplomatic solution to the situation in Ukraine and the opening of humanitarian corridors to help those in need, TASS reported.

The secretary-general expressed support for Turkey's ongoing diplomatic efforts in connection with the special operation in Ukraine. The leaders "stressed the urgent need for effective access through humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians and deliver much-needed assistance to impacted communities," the UN said in a statement after Guterres met Erdogan in Ankara.

The report noted that Guterres and Erdogan reaffirmed a common goal to seek an early settlement in Ukraine, create conditions to help civilians, and advocated continued contact on these issues. They also discussed the impact of the war in Ukraine on regional and global issues, including energy, food and finance.

Guterres will pay a visit to Moscow tomorrow, during which he will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and be received by President Vladimir Putin. Guterres will visit Ukraine on 28 April.