Vladimir Putin had a substantive telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The Kremlin reports.
The two leaders discussed current issues of further developing mutually beneficial Russian-Turkish cooperation across various sectors, including the advancement of strategic energy projects. They acknowledged with satisfaction the positive momentum in bilateral relations and the growth of mutual trade.
The President of Russia shared his assessment of the ongoing dialogue with the United States regarding a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict and the normalisation of Russian-American relations. He highlighted the constructive nature of recent high-level and expert-level contacts. In particular, the discussion covered the outcomes of the recent expert consultations between the two countries in Riyadh and the agreement on a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine, effective from March 18. At the same time, Vladimir Putin emphasised the Kiev regime’s continued provocative attempts to target Russian energy infrastructure.
The parties also exchanged views on the resumption of the “Black Sea initiative” for safe navigation and the removal of barriers to the export of Russian food and fertilisers. This initiative, originally brokered by Turkiye and the UN Secretariat in July 2022, has yet to be implemented.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for the Russian-American dialogue and reiterated Turkiye’s readiness to assist in advancing the Black Sea deal.
In discussing the current situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, the leaders emphasised the importance of preserving the country’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. They stressed the need to provide all possible support to the Syrian authorities and people to strengthen domestic political stability, while also respecting the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic and religious groups.
Vladimir Putin extended his congratulations to Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the entire Turkish people on the holy month of Ramadan and the upcoming celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
It was agreed to maintain contacts at various levels.
