Russian and Turkish presidents meet in Yaroslavl

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has met his Turkish counterpart
Abdullah Gul at the World Political Forum in Yaroslavl to discuss
trade-economic ties and partnership, Medvedev’s press-service says.

It is Gul’s second visit to Russia. The previous visit was organized
on February 12-15, 2009. The two states have been developing ties
based on new principles of the declaration signed in February 2009.

A new mechanism was formed in 2010, the High-Ranking Cooperation
Council, chaired by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The second session of the council was held in Moscow on March 15, 2011.
The talks in Yaroslavl are expected to touch upon a wide range of
bilateral affairs, including international and regional problems.

Russia is one of the main foreign trade partners of Turkey. Turkey is
a leader, in terms of trade turnover with Russia, which was over $25
billion in 2010. This year’s indicators in the first half of 2011
increased by 25%, demonstrating a positive trend.

The two states continue developing cooperation in the energy sphere.
Russia provided Turkey with 18 billion cubic meters of gas in 2010
(14.5 billion in the first 7 months of 2011), including 7.5 billion
cubic meters via the Blue Stream.

The sides plan to discuss realization of the Southern Stream gas
pipeline project, aimed at improving European energy security. Russia
has started the second stage of feasibility studies for the underwater
section of the pipeline in the Turkish exclusive economic zone of the
Black Sea, according to permission issued on May 15.

Russia’s biggest investment project in Turkey is construction of the
Akkuyu nuclear power plant, worth about $20 billion. Practical
realization of the project has already started, new permits and
licenses for construction are expected in the near future.

The two states are also realizing non-energy projects. One of them is
construction of a metallurgical complex in Iskenderun by the
Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Complex and Atakash (Turkey). The new
complex will produce 2.3 million tons of hot-rolled sheets, 750,000
tons of cold-rolled sheets, 900,000 tons of zinctified rolls and
400,000 tons of sheets with polymer cover. The project is worth about
$1.7 billion.

Russia and Turkey are expanding contacts in the high-tech, cultural,
and humanitarian spheres. The Russian-Turkish Public Forum plays a
special role in these spheres.

Over 3 million Russian tourists visited Turkey in 2010 (up 24%
compared with 2009). 2011 is expected to set a tourism record. The
Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and
Human Welfare of Russia and the Russian Foreign Ministry have
developed a memorandum for cooperation with the Healthcare Ministry of
Turkey.

The Yaroslavl forum will include talks on international and regional
affairs, including the Libyan crisis, Syria, Euro-Atlantic security,
prospects for a Middle East settlement and the Iranian nuclear
program.