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Turkey wants to take relations with Russia to new level — deputy PM

"The main aim is to return every sphere of our relations to the condition before November 24. However, the task is to take our relations to a whole new level," Simsek said

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. Turkey wants to take relations with Russia to a whole new level, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Tuesday after talks in Moscow.

"The main aim is to return every sphere of our relations to the condition before November 24. However, the task is to take our relations to a whole new level," Simsek said.

"The purpose of the visit to Moscow is to elevate our relations to a new level. Our relations went through trials in the first 8 months. But 20 years of effective cooperation are demonstrating that we can overcome any hardships and are capable of setting any tasks," the Turkish deputy prime minister said.

Simsek said that Turkish minister of economy had held talks with Alexander Novak, the head of the Russian Energy Ministry; and Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulbkayev.

"The meeting took place within the framework of the bilateral inter-governmental commission. I paid a visit of friendship to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov," he added.

Turkish goods will shortly return to the Russian market in case the food embargo is lifted, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey said.

"The Turkish business is very flexible and I’m confident Turkish foods will appear on Russian counters within the shortest possible time as soon as restrictions are lifted," he said.

Russia imposed a ban on import of a broad range of agricultural produce from Turkey on January 1, 2016. The list of banned foods was further expanded in spring 2016 for phytosanitary reasons.

Use of national currencies in trade

Turkey and Russia discussed use of national currencies in mutual trade and establishment of a joint investment fund at the meeting in Moscow, Mehmet Simsek said on Tuesday.

"I do not have [information] regarding the joint fund," the official said responding to the question about the amount of the fund and timeframe for its establishment.

"I may only say we discussed use of national currencies in trade during the meeting with Finance Minister Anton Siluanov," Simsek said.

The investment fund of Russia and Turkey will finance projects, including projects in third countries, Turkey’s Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said earlier on Tuesday.

"The decision was made to set up the investment fund to finance projects in the territory of both countries and in third world countries," Zeybekci said.

Settlement in Syria

The settlement in Syria meets the interests of both Russia and Turkey, Mehmet Simsek also said on Tuesday.

"This issue (Syria) will be discussed by the presidents," he said. The issue is political, "Syria is seeing a humanitarian disaster," Simsek said.

"The search for a stable settlement of the problem is in the interests of both Russia and Turkey," the deputy prime minister said.