Source: Today’s Zaman, 1tv.ru
Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 13, 2015 held separate talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin was in Baku for the opening ceremony of the inaugural
European Games
.
Putin and Erdogan were among the few leaders who attended the ceremony on June 12. Leaders from Europe were absent.
The Turkish and Russian leaders discussed bilateral relations and international issues behind closed doors,
Today’s Zaman
reported citing
Doğan news agency
and presidential sources. They stressed that bilateral cooperation in the field of energy should be strengthened, and that trade volume should be increased. They also touched upon the situation in Syria, Ukraine, Crimea and Crimean Tatars.
The visit to Baku is Erdogan’s first foreign trip after the parliamentary elections last week, where the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) founded by Erdogan lost its parliamentary majority.
In a separate meeting, Putin and Aliyev discussed economic cooperation, Russia’s
1tv.ru
reported.
“Despite the difficulties in the world economy, we are still building up the potential of mutual cooperation in the economic sphere,” Aliyev said.
“I share your assessment about the level and nature of our bilateral relations,” Putin responded. “Despite all the turbulence in the economy, the trade turnover between our countries is growing. Last year, it increased by more than 12 percent, and almost 6 in the first quarter of this year.”
