MOSCOW, November 28. /TASS/. Russia and Turkey may adhere to different views but this divergence of opinion is not a hindrance to bilateral partnership, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the news agency Anadolu on the eve of his visit to Turkey.
“Due to such intensive multidimensional ties, Turkish-Russian relations remain stable, not depending on the current situation and maintaining continuity. Naturally, our positions on some issues might not be exactly the same or may even differ. This is natural for states carrying out independent foreign policy,” Putin said.
“At the same time and above all, we understand the importance of partnership between our countries and our peoples and a common desire to continue the mutually beneficial dialogue, which is highly appreciated by Russia,” Putin remarked.
Putin hopes that his visit to Turkey due on December 1 will prove an important stage in advancing bilateral relations.
“Together with President of Turkey Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan we are going to discuss the main issues of Russian-Turkish cooperation, including the implementation of strategic joint projects in the energy sector. We are going to review the results of our cooperation over the last year and outline future tasks. And of course, we will exchange views on key international and regional problems,” Putin said.
According to the Russian leader, high on the agenda is the diversification of trade turnover with high-tech products and the development of industrial cooperation.
“One of the promising areas is cooperation between our countries in space exploration,” he said. “On February 15, 2014, a Turkish telecommunication satellite Turksat-4A was successfully launched with a Russian carrier rocket. Next year, we plan to launch a second satellite, Turksat-4B.”
Putin recalled that about 100 Turkish construction companies were now working in Russia. Some of them participated in building the infrastructure for the Olympic Games in Sochi.
“We expect that this experience will be successfully applied in the future when constructing the facilities for major international sporting events to be held in Russia in the coming years,” Putin said.
He also mentioned successful bilateral cooperation in the humanitarian sphere and tourism.