MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. Russian senators rate high the relations with Turkey based on mutual respect that were tested during the challenging times, and the position of Turkish partners on expansion of bilateral cooperation, Russia’s Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said at a meeting with the speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (parliament) Numan Kurtulmus.

"We rate high your personal position, the position of our Turkish partners in favor of expansion of cooperation with Russia in a wide range of areas. And your present visit is another confirmation of that," Matviyenko said.

Turkey is a good neighbor and important partner of Russia, she noted. "We see how the international, regional authority of your country grew over the past several years and, of course, we rate high our relations with Turkey based on mutual respect that were tested, I would say, during the challenging times, our diversified economic, humanitarian partnership," Russia’s top senator stressed.