The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the country's top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, will be in Türkiye on an official visit. Lavrov will visit on Friday and Saturday, Maria Zakharova said.
He is scheduled to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which will be held in the eponymous southern Turkish province, a popular destination among Russian tourists and expats. He will also hold bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
Russia and Türkiye have been preparing a Putin visit, which the Kremlin said would take place this week after Russia's presidential election in mid-March.
In the 2022 edition of the Antalya event, Lavrov met his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Kuleba. It is unclear whether any Ukrainian officials will attend the 2024 forum or if Lavrov will meet them face-to-face amid heightened conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Türkiye served as a mediator in their conflict, in its capacity as a rare country maintaining good ties both with Moscow and Kyiv.
Zakharova said Lavrov and Fidan would discuss cooperation in energy, security, banking and tourism as well as the situation in Ukraine, the Southern Caucasus and the Palestinian territories, Libya and Syria.
More than 20 heads of state and government from over 100 nations are set to convene for the 3rd Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) in March.
The forum will be held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan between March 1-3. It will also host approximately 90 ministers, including more than 60 foreign ministers and 80 representatives of international organizations.
The forum, held since 2021, was delayed last year due to the devastating twin earthquakes that shook southeastern Türkiye in February, causing the deaths of tens of thousands. The forum aims to promote Türkiye's diplomacy and foreign relations while advancing its friendship and cooperation with other nations. It takes place annually to contribute to Ankara's regional and global values in diplomacy.
Notably, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its third year and Israel's war on Gaza is nearing its sixth month, this year's main theme is "Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil." The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the theme aims to serve as "a thorough reflection and the means for searching for a peaceful way out of the turbulent period the world has been going through."
"Ongoing wars, acts of terrorism, irregular migration, the rise of xenophobia and Islamophobia, unforeseen risks of artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, natural disasters, pandemics and widening socioeconomic gaps form a non-exhaustive list of global challenges," the ministry's statement said.
"The erosion and loss of trust in the rules-based international order is also a worrying trend, undermining the predictability of the environment in which states operate."
Russia expects Lavrov's Türkiye visit to greatly enhance relations
Russia said Wednesday that it expects a forthcoming meeting between Lavrov and Fidan to significantly contribute to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
"Despite growing pressure from the West on friendly countries to limit their contacts with Russia, we observe the desire of our Turkish partners to maintain cooperation with the Russian Federation on issues of mutual interest," it said.
The ministry highlighted the strength of the bilateral contacts, noting that last year, the presidents of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had 13 phone calls. In April, the two leaders took part in a virtual ceremony marking the delivery of atomic fuel to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, while in September, they held full-fledged talks in the Russian resort city of Sochi.
"Preparations for new contacts at the highest level are underway," it emphasized.
The rhythm of bilateral communications set by the heads of state is actively supported by the foreign ministers, with seven ministerial meetings and 10 phone talks last year.
"At the upcoming meeting, a wide range of relevant regional and international topics will be discussed. It is necessary to 'synchronize watches' on the situation in Ukraine, Transcaucasia, the Middle East and North Africa, the Balkans, Central Asia and the Black Sea region," it said.
The ministers will exchange views on the current state of affairs on the Ukrainian crisis and discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement of the conflict on the condition that Kyiv takes into account Russian interests and concerns, it highlighted.
"Increased attention will be paid to the normalization process in Syria. Steps to further promote Syrian-Turkish dialogue in a quadrilateral format with the participation of Iran as the guarantor country of the Astana process to facilitate the settlement of the crisis in Syria will be touched upon," it said.
Lavrov and Fidan will also speak about deepening cooperation in the South Caucasus, including unblocking transport routes and communications there and restoration work after the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"During the talks, the ministers will also focus on ways to enhance bilateral trade and economic ties and cooperation in the fields of energy, finance and other areas," it said.
The ministry noted that in 2023, Russian-Turkish trade turnover decreased by 11.2% to $55.4 billion, but its "physical" volume increased by 35.9% to 92.7 million tons.
"The parties' priority is to maintain positive dynamics in trade and develop ways to neutralize the negative impact of Western restrictions on Russian-Turkish cooperation," it emphasized.
Türkiye remains a priority destination for Russian tourists. In 2023, 5.6 million Russian citizens visited this country, and ahead of the next tourist season, close attention will be paid to the topic of ensuring the comprehensive security of Russians on holiday in Turkish resorts, it said.
Separately, the two ministers plan to work on such strategic projects as the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, the operation of the TurkStream Gas Pipeline and the creation of a gas hub in Türkiye for the transportation of Russian energy resources to world markets.
"We expect that the upcoming ministerial meeting will make a significant contribution to the further development of mutually beneficial relations between Russia and Türkiye and strengthen the strategic vision of addressing international problems while taking into account national interests," the ministry added.