Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer met one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on the second day of a three-day state visit, with both leaders expressing confidence in the trajectory of bilateral ties.
Sezer said Türkiye hopes to see trade with Russia climb to $25 billion, noting that the figure had already grown from $1.5 billion in 1991 to $15 billion in 2005. "We will not be satisfied with this," he said.
Putin noted that trade between the two countries has been expanding by 35 to 40 percent annually and that Russia is eager to deepen economic cooperation. He also said the two nations share broadly similar positions on a range of international issues.
Both presidents described the relationship as having matured steadily since Putin's December 2004 state visit to Ankara. Sezer stressed that continued progress depends on sustained mutual trust and understanding between the two countries.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.