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Top diplomat says Turkey seeks visa-free regime with Russia

Turkey’s top diplomat stressed that it is high time to "stop speaking about the crisis period in relations and start dealing with bringing them to new heights"

© Alexander Demianchuk/TASS

ANKARA, December 1. /TASS/. Turkey calls for fully lifting visa requirements with Russia and working on the issue of mutual trips on domestic passports, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday after a meeting of the Russian-Turkish joint strategic planning group in Alanya.

"We have a potential for developing relations. We want a full lifting of restrictions on visas with Russia and switching to using domestic identity cards for trips between our countries," Cavusoglu said.

Turkey’s top diplomat stressed that it is high time to "stop speaking about the crisis period in relations and start dealing with bringing them to new heights."

"By 2023 we plan to reach a $100bln trade turnover. We are working in this direction. Russia is making certain steps for that, and it has lifted some restrictions (in trade)," he said.

Cavusoglu also recalled that Russia is implementing "strategic projects" in Turkey, in particular the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.

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