UPDATE 2: Russian–Turkish coop on Akkuyu, Turkish Stream under way

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MOSCOW, Mar 10 (PRIME) -- The Russian–Turkish projects of construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and the Turkish Stream gas pipeline have come back to a normal course of development, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday.

“As regards the Turkish Stream and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant projects, the cooperation is returning to a normal course, it is developing more and more,” Erdogan said.

Construction of the plant is of the utmost importance for Turkey. “Regarding the construction of the Akkuyu plant, implementation of the project is of vital importance for us, and we are keeping track of development and implementation of these projects,” he said.

Putin said Russia hopes that construction of the plan will receive the status of a strategic investment as soon as possible.

Erdogan said that the defense and energy sectors are the key elements of the Russian–Turkish cooperation.

He called for an increase of the number of flights between the two countries and making it “limitless”, and asked for access for Turkish industrial companies to supplies of Russia–produced MC-21 planes.

He also said that a recent energy congress in Istanbul was very productive from the point of view of recovery of the relations. There are no large disagreements in the energy sector between Russia and Turkey.

Putin said that he discussed with Erdogan creation of infrastructure for acquiring of Russia’s Mir payments cards in Turkey, which is a step to improve bilateral economic ties and increase the share of national currencies in bilateral settlements. “We know that the president actively supports that,” he said.

Trade turnover of the two countries has been falling over the past several years, and in 2016 it contracted by about 30% to the level of 2006. “We hope that we will be able to overcome the negative dynamics of bilateral trade already this year,” Putin said.

The Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline project will allow Russia to increase supplies of gas to Turkey and boost the country’s transit potential. “We have good prospects for industrial cooperation in the metallurgic industry, car industry, and in production of agricultural products and equipment,” he said.

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