Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan to boost cooperation as Ukraine war leaves Moscow isolated
- The Russian and Turkish leaders agreed to ramp up trade and boost economic and energy cooperation during four hours of talks in Sochi
- They also pointed to the resumption of Ukrainian grain shipments, noting that the deal was made possible by their countries’ ‘constructive relations’
President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday adopted a statement pledging to boost political and economic cooperation including in energy and trade.
The talks between Putin and Erdogan came as Russia’s isolation grows following its invasion of Ukraine.
“Despite the current regional and global challenges, the leaders reaffirmed their common will to further develop Russian-Turkish relations,” the Kremlin said in a statement following the four-hour talks in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
Putin and Erdogan agreed to ramp up trade and boost economic and energy cooperation with a focus on transport, agriculture, tourism, and construction.
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The statement said the two leaders agreed “to meet the expectations of the opposite side in the spheres of economy and energy”.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, speaking in televised remarks, called the agreements “very important”, with ties aiming to reach “a new level of development” across “virtually all sectors”.