Top Turkish, Russian diplomats discuss tourism

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

Top Turkish and Russian diplomats discussed the issue of tourism on a phone call on June 8 amid the coronavirus crisis said Turkish diplomatic sources.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu 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 June 8 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.