Russia expects Lavrov's Türkiye visit to strengthen relations

Russia has expressed its anticipation that an upcoming meeting between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan will greatly enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that Lavrov had been invited by Fidan to meet on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 1-2.

"Despite growing pressure from the West on friendly countries to limit their contacts with Russia, we observe the desire of our Turkish partners to maintain cooperation with the Russian Federation on issues of mutual interest," it said.

"At the upcoming meeting, a wide range of relevant regional and international topics will be discussed. It is necessary to 'synchronise watches' on the situation in Ukraine, Transcaucasia, the Middle East and North Africa, the Balkans, Central Asia and the Black Sea region," it added.

The ministers will exchange views on the current state of affairs on the Ukrainian crisis and discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement of the conflict on the condition that Kiev takes into account Russian interests and concerns, it highlighted.

"Increased attention will be paid to the normalisation process in Syria. Steps to further promote Syrian-Turkish dialogue in a quadrilateral format with the participation of Iran as the guarantor country of the Astana process to facilitate the settlement of the crisis in Syria will be touched upon," it said.

Lavrov and Fidan will also speak about deepening cooperation in the South Caucasus, including unblocking transport routes and communications there and restoration work after the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Rhythm of bilateral communications

The Russian Foreign Ministry also emphasised the robust nature of bilateral contacts, citing that last year, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan had 13 phone conversations.

In April, the two leaders participated in a virtual ceremony commemorating the delivery of atomic fuel to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. Additionally, they engaged in comprehensive discussions in the Russian resort city of Sochi in September.

"Preparations for new contacts at the highest level are underway," the ministry emphasised.

The rhythm of bilateral communications set by the heads of state is actively supported by the foreign ministers, with seven ministerial meetings and 10 phone talks last year.

"During the talks, the ministers will also focus on ways to enhance bilateral trade and economic ties and cooperation in the fields of energy, finance and other areas," the Russian ministry said.

The ministry noted that in 2023, Russian-Turkish trade turnover decreased by 11.2 percent to $55.4 billion, but its "physical" volume increased by 35.9 percent to 92.7 million tons.

"The parties' priority is to maintain positive dynamics in trade and develop ways to neutralise the negative impact of Western restrictions on Russian-Turkish cooperation," it emphasised.

Türkiye remains a priority destination for Russian tourists. In 2023, 5.6 million Russian citizens visited this country, and ahead of the next tourist season, close attention will be paid to the topic of ensuring the comprehensive security of Russians on holiday in Turkish resorts, it said.

Separately, the two ministers plan to work on such strategic projects as the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, the operation of the TurkStream Gas Pipeline and the creation of a gas hub in Türkiye for the transportation of Russian energy resources to world markets.

"We expect that the upcoming ministerial meeting will make a significant contribution to the further development of mutually beneficial relations between Russia and Türkiye and strengthen the strategic vision of addressing international problems while taking into account national interests," the ministry added.