President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will focus on the gasoline hub, the conflict in Ukraine and the Black Sea grain exports throughout the upcoming assembly in Ankara, Türkiye’s prime diplomat stated on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan didn’t give a date for the journey, which might mark Putin’s first journey to a NATO member state since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But a number of reviews have been suggesting he would go to Türkiye on Feb. 12.
Ankara has sought to influence Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations – that ensured the secure export of Ukrainian grain throughout the conflict by way of the Black Sea. Russia withdrew from the accord in July 2023 and has stated it was not enthusiastic about reviving it.
Speaking at a press convention within the Maltese capital Valletta, Fidan stated Türkiye was working with Ukraine and Russia to revive the accord.
He stated Ankara valued its “ongoing, regular” dialogue with Moscow on a number of points, from vitality to coverage variations concerning regional conflicts in Syria, Libya and the Southern Caucasus.
“We have always stood by Ukraine’s territorial integrity and will continue to stand by it, but the destructive impact of the war must end somehow too,” Fidan stated, pointing to the grain deal.
Days earlier, Fidan stated Ankara and Moscow would weigh in on a brand new mechanism to permit Ukrainian grain exports by way of the Black Sea when their two leaders meet.
NATO member Türkiye shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia within the Black Sea and has aimed to keep up good ties with each amid the conflict. It has voiced help for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, whereas opposing the sanctions on Russia.
Erdoğan and Putin final met within the Russian metropolis of Sochi in September.
Separately on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated Putin plans to debate the deliberate gasoline hub in Türkiye with officers throughout the journey.
Putin floated the concept of establishing a regional platform in Türkiye in 2022 as a part of Russia’s efforts to reroute its gasoline exports after a pointy fall in its shipments to Europe on account of the Ukraine conflict.
The state news company Tass additionally reported Türkiye meant to debate the difficulty of reductions on pure gasoline with Russia, one of many nation’s prime vitality suppliers.
“Türkiye has always been a reliable consumer of Russian gas. The country’s authorities previously said that they were counting on more reasonable prices for it, including in light of plans to create a gas hub,” the company cited a neighborhood diplomatic supply as saying.
“This issue is planned to be discussed at negotiations in preparation for the Russian President’s visit to Türkiye,” the supply stated.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar earlier stated Ankara was relying on a reduction on Russian gasoline and hopes for mutual understanding on the difficulty.
Source: www.dailysabah.com