President Dmitry Medvedev and later Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday received Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his visit to Moscow.
Talks between the two delegations focused, especially on the Russian side, on energy cooperation.
"Russian-Turkish relations are on the rise. They are genuine relations between strategic partners," said Dmitry Medvedev, receiving the Turkish Prime Minister in his residence in Barvikha outside Moscow. "After a dip (trade between the two countries dropped by 40% last year because of the crisis - Izvestia), we have developed trade and economic cooperation, which is still substantial, and we have even set ambitious goals for the near term."
Medvedev and Erdogan discussed the "ambitious near-term goals" behind closed doors. Sources believe they had to do with cooperation in the oil and gas sphere.
The press was banned from the talks between Erdogan and Putin, which lasted for several hours. They began with each making a statement on the prospects for abolishing visas between Russia and Turkey. "I hope we will successfully complete that work soon and make the relevant decision by the time Mr Medvedev visits Turkey (In late spring or early summer - Izvestia)," said Putin.
Predictably, the main theme that interested journalists was the fate of the South Stream gas pipeline. Last August, Mr Putin and Mr Erdogan signed protocols on oil and gas cooperation between the two countries, and Ankara allowed Moscow to conduct exploratory work in its territorial waters. Now, Russia, having obtained the results of its exploration, is awaiting Turkey's approval for building the pipelines. "The environmental studies have been 100% completed, geological and technical exploration is being conducted vigorously, and the project as a whole is 85-90% complete," Mr Putin said. "We have agreed that after receiving these documents, the Turkish government will make the necessary reviews and issue a permit for construction before November 10, 1010." "During the negotiations, the (Turkish - Izvestia) Prime Minister confirmed this commitment," Mr Putin said.
While Mr Putin was commenting, Mr Erdogan was silent and did not give so much as a nod of acknowledgement. Mr Putin also announced that the former ambitious cooperation plans remained in force not only for South Stream, but for the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline that would bring Russian oil to Europe bypassing Ukraine.
"I even proposed a three-way intergovernmental agreement between Turkey, Russia, and Italy because the three countries are involved in both projects," Mr Putin announced. "The Prime Minister has agreed, and we are beginning to discuss the issue with the Italian partners."
Mr Erdogan again made no comments. Even so, silence is better than trying to invite Russia to take part in the hostile project Nabucco that would bring gas to Europe bypassing Russian territory, a possibility widely discussed by the media before the visit.
No agreements were signed at yesterday's meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Erdogan. But they watched the signing of two important agreements by their subordinates: Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and the Turkish Energy Minister signed a joint statement on cooperation in building a nuclear plant in Turkey and Russia's Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik and her Turkish counterpart signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation on plant quarantine.
Alexander Latyshev