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Erdogan says Putin's visit to Turkey relects improved relations

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  • Erdogan says Putin's visit to Turkey relects improved relations

    Erdogan says Putin's visit to Turkey relects improved relations

    Associated Press Worldstream
    August 30, 2004 Monday 4:17 PM Eastern Time

    MOSCOW -- Russia and Turkey will sign a joint declaration on "deepening
    friendship and multifaceted partnership" during President Vladimir
    Putin's visit to Turkey this week, the Interfax new agency quoted
    Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Monday.

    Putin's two-day trip, which starts Friday, will be the first official
    visit by a Russian leader since the Soviet collapse.

    "This visit clearly demonstrates the high level of mutual dialogue
    and trust between Turkey and Russia and will give an impulse to the
    further strengthening of our relations," Interfax quoted Erdogan as
    saying in an interview.

    Erdogan said topics for discussion would include what he said were
    improved political relations and economic cooperation, including in
    energy, as well as the situation in Cyprus, Iraq, the Middle East
    and the Caucasus Mountains - where Turkey is allied with Azerbaijan
    while Russia is more friendly with its foe Armenia.

    Turkey wants to see the conflict in Chechnya - also in the Caucasus -
    resolved in a peaceful way that respects Russia's constitution and
    its territorial integrity as well human rights, the Russian agency
    quoted Erdogan as saying. Russia has called on Turkey to crack down
    on charities it claims have provided support to Chechen rebels.

    Russia exports large quantities of its oil westward from the Black
    Sea through Turkey's busy Bosporus straits, a situation that Erdogan
    said was dangerous.

    Erdogan said that that the number of Russian tankers moving through
    Turkey from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean "has exceeded all
    possible limits, from the point of view of the environment and
    security," Interfax reported. He called on Russian oil companies to
    use pipelines instead.

    Erdogan said that Russia's natural gas monopoly, Gazprom, has expressed
    interest in building underground gas storage facilities in Turkey and
    in transporting gas to other countries via Turkey, Interfax reported.

    According to Erdogan, the volume of trade between Russia and Turkey
    reached nearly US$7 billion last year. He said he hopes it can exceed
    US$10 billion in the coming years.
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