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Russian PM arrives in Turkey’s Istanbul to attend BSEC summit

The Russian prime minister is expected to speak at the summit and to have meetings with his Turkey’s counterpart, Binaly Yildirim and Moldova’s President Igor Dodon

ISTANBUL, May 21. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday arrived in Turkey’s Istanbul to attend a meeting of the heads of state and government of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) due to be held on May 22.

The Russian prime minister is expected to speak at the summit and to have meetings with his Turkey’s counterpart, Binaly Yildirim and Moldova’s President Igor Dodon.

The BSEC summit is timed to mark the 25th anniversary of the organization, which was set up on June 25, 1992 as a regional initiative and gained an international organization status in May 1999.

"The summit’s agenda included the current tasks of the organization, including closer practical cooperation between its member countries, in particular the development of trans-border motorway, sea and energy infrastructure," the press service of the Russian government said earlier. Participants in the meeting will continue the discussion of projects in the spheres of renewable energy, energy efficiency, green technologies, small and medium-sized businesses, regional and municipal administration, etc.

Turkey is currently chairing the BSEC. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Sochi on May 3, invited Russia to take part in the summit. Putin pledged that Russian "will be represented at a due level." He also noted that "this format of regional cooperation is quite useful."

The Istanbul meeting is expected to be attended by the presidents of Greece, Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania’s prime minister. Other countries will be represented at a lower level. The Russian delegation will include Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and Energy Minister Alexander Novak.