Putin, Erdogan discuss situation in  South Caucasus

ArmInfo.  Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the SCO summit. The situation in the South Caucasus was discussed, among other topics.

As reported by the Kremlin press service,  Putin stated that he  highly values personal contacts, which invariably take place in a  constructive and mutually respectful manner. According to him, this  is fully consistent with the principles of good neighborliness, the  traditionally friendly nature of Russian-Turkish relations.

"We consider Turkey to be a reliable and long-standing partner in  both bilateral affairs and  the international arena. We are also  satisfied with the progress of trade and economic cooperation. Last  year, trade volume  increased by 6.6 percent, and in the first half  of this year it rose by almost three percent," Putin said. According  to him, large-scale investments are being made on a reciprocal basis.  Russian companies are implementing large projects in such sectors of  the Turkish economy as metallurgy and automotive industry, while  Turkish firms are widely represented  in Russia in mechanical  engineering, metallurgy, and woodworking. According to him, the  partnership in the energy sector is seen as truly strategic. "We  value constructive interaction with Turkey in the international  arena, including through joint work within the Shanghai Cooperation  Organization, where your country has had the status of a dialogue  partner since 2012.

We are grateful to our Turkish friends for their significant  contribution to political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the  Ukrainian crisis. Since May of this year, three rounds of direct  Russian-Ukrainian negotiations have already been held in Istanbul,  making it possible to advance on a number of practical issues in the  humanitarian sphere. I am confident that Turkey's special role in  these matters will remain in demand.

Our focus is also on topics of common interest, such as the Middle  East, North Africa, and Transcaucasia.  Russian-Turkish interaction  in all these areas is well-established, concrete, useful, and, I  would say, trusting," Putin's press service quotes him as saying.

Erdogan reiterated his invitation for Putin to visit Turkey. "My dear  friend, you know how much we would like to welcome you to Turkey. My  invitation remains in force.  We are looking forward to seeing you in  our country as soon as possible. We are bound by sincere  relations  based on trust. Our relationship continues to progress without being  affected by current challenges," the Turkish President noted.