DUSHANBE, June 30, 2016, Asia-Plus – Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday lifted Moscow’s travel restrictions to Turkey and ordered trade ties normalized after his first phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan since Turkey downed a Russian jet last year.
President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian government to launch the process of restoring cooperation with Turkey, including in the spheres of trade and economic ties, after phone conversation with his Turkey counterpart earlier in the day, the Kremlin said Wednesday.
Putin reportedly instructed the Russian government to lift tourism-related restrictions against Turkey. The Russian leader expressed hope that Turkish authorities will take additional measures to ensure safety of Russian nationals in Turkey.
Sputnik reports that Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that Turkey will do everything to ensure the safety of Russian citizens in the country.
The Russian and Turkish presidents agreed to hold a personal meeting in the near future, according to the Kremlin.
Erdogan is expected to meet with Putin in September on the sidelines of the forthcoming G20 summit in China for their first face-to-face talks since the start of the diplomatic row, a Turkish official told AFP on Wednesday speaking on condition of anonymity.
Following the call, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow and Ankara would most likely also resume cooperation in resolving the Syrian crisis.
Moscow slapped a range of sanctions on Turkey after its shooting down of a Russian jet last November.
Moscow moved swiftly to ban the sales of package tours to Turkey, which had depended heavily on the Russian tourist flow; banned most of Turkey”s food exports; and introduced restrictions against Turkish construction companies, which had won a sizable niche of the Russian market.
