Russian PM to pay working visit to Turkey

MOSCOW, August 6 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
will on Thursday pay a working visit to Turkey at the invitation of the
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Yuri Ushakov, the deputy head of the Russian government central
office, told reporters that the visit was expected to be fruitful. In the
first half of the day Putin and Erdogan will meet in a narrow format and
will hold inter-governmental negotiations in a broader format over lunch.
Ushakov believes that the prime ministers would discuss the thorniest
issues in the narrow format because they've already met eight times and
have good personal contacts.
"Russia and Turkey can certainly be called strategic partners. In
2008, the trade turnover increased by record 50% to reach 34 billion
dollars," Ushakov stressed. Russia became Turkey's main trading partner
while Turkey became the fifth major trading partner for Russia.
"Naturally, 2009 has seen a downfall in trade and economic relations
and the prime ministers are sure to discuss steps designed to improve the
situation," Ushakov went on to say. He didn't rule out that a discussion
of energy cooperation might dwell on the construction of the Nabucco gas
pipeline.
Putin and Erdogan will also consider the possibility of expanding
transport cooperation, including truck haulages, the establishment of a
ferry service between Ceyhan and Samsun, as well as customs regulation,
interaction on humanitarian issues and certainly tourism. A total of 2.5
million Russian tourists visited Turkey in 2008. The Russian and Turkish
prime ministers may also discuss the results of a visit to Turkey of
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill early in July.
Putin and Erdogan will sign a number of documents on energy
cooperation, including protocols on cooperation in gas (the South Stream
and Blue Stream-2 projects) and oil spheres (the construction of the
Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline).
The Russian and Turkish sides are expected to sign 16 cooperation
documents.
"Our cooperation covers the oil and gas sphere, electric energy,
tourism, peaceful use of outer space, agriculture, joint production of
mineral fertilizers, education and science," said Igor Sechin, the Russian
vice-premier who head an inter-governmental commission for Russian-Turkish
cooperation.
Agreements on electric energy, natural gas and oil may also be signed
between Turkish firms and the Russian companies Rosneft, Gazprom and Inter
RAO Unified Energy Systems.
Russia and Turkey are expected to sign a protocol on peaceful use of
nuclear energy.
Vladimir Putin will meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Thursday
afternoon.