Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the date of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey will be set soon as he discussed his busy schedule during a meeting with reporters in the capital Ankara.
Responding to a question about Putin's visit, Erdogan said he often talks to the Russian president and expressed his belief that the date would be set soon.
The trip, postponed twice since late last year, will mark Putin's first visit to a NATO member state since he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Putin and Erdogan would discuss the gas hub, the war in Ukraine and grain exports via the Black Sea during their meeting.
Ankara has been trying to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative - brokered by Turkey and the UN - which guaranteed the safe export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea during the war. Russia withdrew from the agreement in July 2023 and said it was not interested in resuming it.
Noting that Tanzania's president will visit Turkey, Erdogan said the visit will be crucial for the country as it is an important African country and the two leaders will have a chance to discuss diplomatic steps between the two countries as well as investment opportunities.
On his visit to Iraq, Erdogan said the visit is expected to create a different foundation for bilateral ties.
"One of the most important topics of my visit is the water issue," the president said, adding that the two countries will strive to resolve the water issue. / BGNES
