Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov begins a two-day visit to Turkey on Thursday at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu.
He is expected to hold talks on a wide range of issues, including energy matters, the situation in Ukraine, the implementation of the grain deal, as well as measures to normalize the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and in Ankara’s dialogue with Damascus.
The visit is taking place in a turbulent period in Turkey. The country was affected by a series of devastating earthquakes in February, which claimed the lives of at least 50,000 people. Post-quake recovery efforts continue with support from Russia and other countries. Concurrently, a presidential election campaign is underway in that country ahead of the polls on May 14.
The two foreign ministers are expected to discuss the entire spectrum of international and bilateral topics, as well as Turkey’s initiatives. Along with that, according to the Russian foreign ministry, Lavrov and Cavusoglu are likely to exchange views on the problems of security for Russian nationals in Turkey during the vacations season.
The grain deal will be among the central topics of the Russian-Turkish talks. Another important topic will be Putin’s initiative to create a gas hub in Turkey. Apart from that, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists ahead of Lavrov’s visit that the two foreign ministers would agree "a schedule of bilateral contacts at various levels". The sides are also expected to touch upon international and regional problems.
It is not ruled out that Lavrov and Cavusoglu will discuss the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. During their talks in Ankara, Lavrov and Cavusoglu will probably coordinate their positions on this matter and outline areas of further contacts during the second 3+3 meeting (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Russia, Iran, Turkey). The Russian foreign ministry said ahead of the visit that it is planned to "discuss in detail" issues of strengthening cooperation in the South Caucasus, including the resumption of relations between Armenia and Turkey.
Another topic of the talks between the two top diplomats is expected to be the issue of the normalization of Turkey’s relations with Syria.
