President Erdoğan meets with President Putin of Russia

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation at the Kremlin. The two leaders made statements prior to the meeting.

Recalling that he and his Russian counterpart Putin came together frequently throughout 2018, President Erdoğan said he is glad to hold the first tête-à-tête of 2019.

“WE ARE DETERMINED TO REACH OUR GOALS REGARDING THE TRADE VOLUME WITH RUSSIA” 

Pointing to the momentum achieved in political, military, economic and cultural relations with Russia, President Erdoğan noted that the relations between the two countries have very favorable effects on regional peace and security, too. 

Emphasizing the importance of the series of trilateral meetings that were launched with the Astana process, President Erdoğan said: “I am of the belief that the continuation of this process with the meeting we will be holding very shortly will yield great benefits.”

Stating that the developments in tourism immensely help the peoples of Turkey and Russia to socialize with one another, President Erdoğan praised the increasingly growing trade relations and expressed determination to reach the goals set for the bilateral trade volume. 

Recalling that sailors, including Turkish crew members, lost their lives in a twin vessel fire in the Kerch Strait, President Erdoğan wished Allah’s mercy upon the deceased.  

PRESIDENT PUTIN OF RUSSIA: “TURKEY AND RUSSIA MAINTAIN INTENSIVE COOPERATION ON ISSUES CONCERNING REGIONAL SECURITY”

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, for his part, drew attention to the increasingly growing trade volume between the two countries, noting that the number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey increased by 30 percent last year and reached 6 million, a record-breaking level.

Highlighting the improving quality of the friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries, President Putin stated that Turkey and Russia carry on the realization of strategic projects and maintain intensive cooperation on issues concerning the security in the region, first and foremost in Syria.   

As regards the accident in the Kerch Strait, President Putin expressed his condolences to President Erdoğan over the death of Turkish citizens, stressing that Russian rescue teams have done everything in their power to rescue sailors.