The Speaker of the Federation Council is leading a Russian parliamentary delegation on an official visit to the Republic of Türkiye.
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko met with President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul during an official visit by a delegation of the Federation Council to Türkiye.
The Speaker conveyed a verbal message from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to the leader of Türkiye, addressing issues related to bilateral relations and the current international agenda.
She informed the President of Türkiye about earlier productive contacts with Türkiye’s MPs in Ankara and noted that an agreement has been reached to conduct joint work to help implement decisions adopted by the leaders of both countries.
Valentina Matvienko thanked the head of state of Türkiye for the warm reception afforded to the Russian delegation.
Attending the meeting were Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev and members of the Russian parliamentary delegation.
Speaking with journalists about the results of the meeting, Valentina Matvienko noted that the conversation was interesting and detailed. “I conveyed a message from the President of Russia to the head of state of Türkiye. In turn, Mr Erdogan reaffirmed that he is looking forward to receiving the Russian leader in Türkiye.”
Relations between the leaders of the two countries largely influence the development and expansion of bilateral contacts, the Speaker of the Federation Council observed. According to Valentina Matvienko, bilateral cooperation, including in the sphere of energy, has already reached the level of strategic cooperation.
The sides discussed the bilateral agenda and various problem issues, including sanctions, restrictions and pressure from Western countries. “The Presidents have decided to expand annual trade volumes, currently totalling $54 billion, to at least $100 billion. “This is possible, provided that we eliminate obstacles hampering our cooperation, and it will not take long to achieve this goal.”
Valentina Matvienko raised the issue of the Ukrainian peace settlement and expressed her gratitude to the leadership of Türkiye for their efforts to play a mediatory role and provide a platform for bilateral and multilateral contacts. “I reiterated our approaches: it is impossible to resolve the conflict without addressing its root causes.”
According to the Speaker of the Federation Council, she raised the topic of reinstating the Russia-Türkiye public forum as an effective platform for bilateral dialogue. “This project was frozen in 2022. President Erdogan reacted positively to this proposal, and MPs from Russia and Türkiye will address this matter,” Valentina Matvienko said.