MOSCOW (TASS) – The planned meeting between Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria has been canceled for technical reasons, according to media reports. The Russian Foreign Ministry told Vedomosti that it had not approved the meeting, which was scheduled to involve deputy foreign ministers. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov expressed hope that the meeting could be rescheduled within a week. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced plans to hold consultations in Moscow after talks with his Iranian counterpart.

Although Ankara and Damascus have not abandoned their plans to normalize relations, they have taken a break, according to Amur Gadzhiyev, a researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies.