Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi can, in the words of the Turkish leader, “open a new page in bilateral relations.”
Putin emphasized the increased role of the Turkish Stream, which has become “one of the most important arteries for supplying Europe with Russian gas,” and noted Erdogan’s merits in organizing the export of Ukrainian grain by sea, TASS reports.
The President of Russia noted the participation of his Turkish counterpart in resolving the issue related to the export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports. Putin thanked Erdogan for launching exports “and for the fact that at the same time a package decision was made on the uninterrupted supply of Russian food and fertilizers to world markets.”
Putin called the Turkish Stream “one of the most important arteries for supplying Europe with Russian gas” and noted that the gas pipeline, “unlike all other directions for the supply of our hydrocarbons, works properly, works rhythmically without any failures.”
“I think European partners should be grateful to Turkey for ensuring uninterrupted transit of our gas to the European market,” Putin concluded. For Ankara, the issue of the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is being carried out by “Rosatom”, remains very important. According to Erdogan, “it is necessary to carry out the work in such a way that they are carried out according to the schedule.”
Both presidents expressed their willingness to discuss the state of affairs in Syria. “Here Turkey and Russia have made a very big contribution to the normalization of the situation,” Putin said.
According to Putin, Russia and Turkey have a lot of bilateral projects to implement. He recalled that “our trade turnover increased by 57%, and in the first months of this year, up to and including May, it doubled.”
In turn, Erdogan expressed hope that the talks “will open a new page in bilateral relations.” According to him, in Sochi, the leaders of the two countries plan to “put an end to the question of how to move forward.”
The meeting should result in signing a memorandum on the development of trade relations between Russia and Turkey,
