Putin, Erdogan phone call: Syria, Grain and Gas on the table
Russian and Turkish presidents talked over the phone and discussed bilateral relations in addition to the Grain Deal and Syria and the gas hub project.
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Russian President Vladimir (L) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Kremlin stated on Monday a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during which the leaders discussed the relations between the two countries and means to increase cooperation.
"A telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan took place. Issues of expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed in detail. In particular, a record growth in trade turnover was noted," the Kremlin announced in a statement.
The presidents also addressed the Ukrainian issue in addition to the developments regarding the Grain Deal.
"The progress of the implementation of the Istanbul agreements of July 22 on the export of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports and the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers was discussed," added the statement, noting that, "This deal is complex in nature, which requires removing obstacles to relevant supplies from Russia in order to meet the needs of the countries most in need."
Read more: Russia, Iran, & Turkey discuss northern Syria in Astana 19th summit
The Kremlin also noted that the leaders stressed the necessity of cooperating in the energy sector and discussed further the Russian initiative to establish a gas hub in Turkey.
"The special importance of joint energy projects, first of all in the gas sector, was emphasized. In view of the results of the recent talks in Istanbul by Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller, the sides continued to exchange views on the initiative of creating a regional gas hub in Turkey."
According to the statement, the Ministers of Defense from both countries will continue close contact with regard to the Syrian situation.
Read more: Russia, Turkey disagree over Syria, but can openly discuss it: Peskov
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara is carrying out preparations to establish the gas hub project suggested earlier by Moscow.
On October 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow could redirect gas transit from the Nord Stream pipelines, damaged by an explosion classified by Russia as an act of terrorism, to Turkey.
Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez stated then that Turkey and Russia have come to an agreement over creating a gas hub that will link the two through Europe.
So far, there isn't a full understanding of how and to which clients the Turkish hub's gas will be supplied, not to mention the exact location in which the hub will be built.
As for the cost of the gas hub in Turkey, sources said that it is too early to speak about the cost range. The price of the infrastructure and execution\ will be uncovered after agreeing on all the details of the project.
