Putin praises 'steady development' of ties between Russia, Türkiye

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia's relations with Türkiye are developing steadily, said President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

"Despite the current global challenges, relations between Russia and Türkiye are developing steadily. Although we have observed a slight decline in trade turnover over the past few months, it remains at a relatively high level of $55 billion," Putin said at a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

He stressed that major joint projects are progressing on schedule and according to plan.

Putin also highlighted his frequent interactions with his Turkish counterpart.

"I am very glad to see you, Mr. President. We are in regular contact, exchanging views on the situation between our countries, the region, and the world as a whole. However, it's been a long time since we've met in person, and I'm very pleased to see you today."

Responding to Erdogan reiterating his standing invitation to again visit Türkiye, Putin said: "I will definitely come."

A number of Putin’s planned visits were postponed in recent months by factors such as elections being held in both countries earlier this year.