President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni discussed the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, the Communications Directorate said Wednesday.

Erdoğan received Meloni on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York on Tuesday to exchange views on bilateral ties.

"The increasingly difficult situation in the Middle East, as well as a shared commitment to support Ukraine's territorial integrity and the search for a just and lasting peace, were at the heart of the discussion," according to the statement.

The leaders reiterated their joint desire to hold a summit and a Business Forum between the two countries as soon as possible to strengthen ties.