Monday, 18 May 2009SOCHI - Prime ministers of Turkey and Russia held a joint press conference following their talks in the Russian city of Sochi on Saturday.
During the press conference, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed to the importance of the regional cooperation between Turkey and Russia, and said that the two countries had certain responsibilities in their region.
"We have to take some steps to provide peace and happiness in our region. These steps include the Upper Karabakh issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Middle East issue and the developments regarding Cyprus," Erdogan said.
Commenting on Turkish-Russian relations, Erdogan said that the trade volume between the two countries exceeded 35 billion USD as of the end of 2008.
Noting that Turkey has become a popular destination for Russian tourists, Erdogan said energy was another important cooperation area between the countries.
Erdogan said activities regarding Blue Stream continued, moreover, ways to get electrical energy from Russia was an issue discussed by the officials of the two countries.
Speaking at the conference, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that petroleum, gas, electricity and atomic energy were the prior issues in Turkish-Russian relations.
Regarding his talks with Erdogan, Putin said regional and international matters were discussed during their meeting and the two countries had a common opinion on many issues.
Upon a question on the Karabakh issue, Putin said that Turkey and Russia desired an immediate solution on this matter and they were ready to extend all the necessary support.
After completing his talks in Russia, Premier Erdogan returned to Turkey in the evening on Saturday.
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Monday, 18 May 2009
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