SOLNECHNOGORSK /Moscow Region/, August 2. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed to determine the time and place of their next meeting in the near future, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a Russian youth forum.
"They [Putin and Erdogan] had several phone conversations and agreed to determine the particulars soon, first of all, the location where it will take place, and secondly, the date. All of this will be done via diplomatic channels," Peskov said.
The Kremlin representative reiterated that the leaders had been planning to meet for a while "They were going to meet even before Turkey’s presidential election but decided against it in order so as not to give the mudslingers fodder to immediately accuse Moscow of meddling into Turkey’s domestic affairs. So they decided to meet afterwards," Peskov explained. He noted that although the election was over, Erdogan had a busy schedule. "You know, Turkey has been and still is successfully coping with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. Naturally, this is an additional burden on the country’s economy," he noted.
Putin’s press secretary added that the "location will be discussed and it’s not necessarily Turkey." That said, he reiterated that "Erdogan is inviting [Putin] to visit [Turkey]." "The president himself said at an evening press conference in St. Petersburg that now is the time for him to remain in the country so it is difficult for him to pay visits," the Kremlin official added.
Speaking on the subject of the upcoming talks, Peskov said that the two leaders will touch on the issues of Ukraine and the grain deal. "The agenda is, first of all, our bilateral relations which are extremely multifaceted. It is, of course, Ukraine, <...> the issue of the grain deal on which today Putin provided exhaustive explanations to his Turkish colleague and, of course, the exchange of opinions on all global affairs," Peskov concluded.