ANKARA, Jan 9 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to begin a three-day visit to Russia Monday instead of Tuesday because of Russian President Vladimir Putin's busy schedule, his press office announced Thursday.
The two leaders are to meet for an informal dinner late Monday and will hold further talks at the Kremlin Tuesday, when Erdogan is also to inaugurate a Turkish trade center in Moscow and huddle with a panel of Turkish entrepreneurs.
Erdogan's trip follows a historic visit to Turkey by Putin on December 5 and 6, the first by a Moscow head of state to this country since Soviet president Nikolai Podgorny 32 years ago.
Putin said after his talks here that the two countries had strengthened their sometimes shaky political ties and stressed their commitment to cooperate against terrorism.
Russia and Turkey often traded accusations of turning a blind eye to each other's dissident groups, namely armed Kurdish rebels active in southeast Turkey and Chechen separatists.
Despite the political rows, trade between the two has significantly increased since the end of the Cold War, reaching 6.8 billion dollars in 2003.
01/09/2005 11:55 GMT - AFP