Turkish president meets Venezuelan counterpart in Russia

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday met with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in the Russian city of Kazan.

Erdogan is in Kazan to attend the 16th BRICS summit, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency.

Key Turkish senior officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and Trade Minister Omer Bolat, were also present at the meeting.

No further details were provided about the content of the talks.

Erdogan's visit to Kazan also includes a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit.

The Turkish president earlier said Ankara “sincerely” wants to improve its cooperation with the BRICS group.

The three-day summit, which began on Tuesday, will continue until Thursday.

The summit includes longtime members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the source of the group’s name – along with recent additions Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE.

Hosted by Russia, which assumed the rotating presidency of the group this year, it is the first time the bloc convenes after the inclusion of new members.

The summit has drawn representatives from 32 countries, including 24 state leaders, according to the Kremlin.