Belarus Ready to Mediate in Turkey-Russia Conflict

Belarus stands ready to put in "maximum effort" to help wind down tensions between Russia and Turkey, but cannot impose mediation on either side, PM Vladimir Makei has said.

In an interview for Belarus 1 TV station quoted by Russian news websites, he has added the country's President, Aleksandr Lukashenko, held phone conversations with Turkish and Russian counterparts to "present his own point of view."

Makei has asserted Belarus could become a "mediator" between the two countries in order to help Ankara and Moscow restore their ties.

Bilateral tensions soared after a Russian Su-24 fighter-bomber was shot down by Turkish Air Forces in November.

Belarus was also where a number of rounds of talks were held in an attempt to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis.