Improved relations between Russia and Turkey were on display in Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Issues discussed included economic ties, energy cooperation, and the conflict in Syria.

CGTN’s Daria Bondarchuk reports.

Relations between Russia and Turkey have returned to a level of full-fledged partnership, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said as he greeted Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow. The two leaders discussed trade, setting a goal for bilateral trade volume to reach $100 Billion in two years’ time. 

Russia and Turkey have also set up a $1 Billion Joint Investment Fund to support businesses of both countries and singed dozens of agreements aimed at strengthening economic cooperation. Putin and Erdogan also discussed the implementation of key joint energy projects due to begin soon.

“The partnership on energy between Turkey and Russia is one of a kind. This process (partnership) continues to increase with oil and natural gas,” President Erdogan said. “Works like Turkish Stream as well as Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant continue within the context of the normalization process.”

Prior to the meeting, Russia partially lifted the ban on Turkish agricultural products, but some visa restrictions and import sanctions imposed last year remain – the consequence that followed Turkey shooting down a Russian warplane over the Turkey-Syria border in late 2015. Nonetheless, the two countries left the incident in the past and moved on, building trust and increasing cooperation on regional security, in particular, on settlement of the Syrian crisis.