Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in what is considered one of the key highlights of the visit. The meeting follows a series of phone communications between the two sides, the latest of which was in late November, where they discussed developments related to the Ukrainian crisis, including U.S. proposals on a political settlement. The last meeting occurred in September on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China.
Putin will also meet with Iranian President Masoud Bazeskiyan, continuing the intense communication between the two countries. The Russian side emphasizes that Russian-Iranian relations are characterized by a “special friendly nature” and are witnessing significant growth in trade volume and strategic cooperation. The last meeting between the two presidents also took place during the Shanghai Organization summit in China.
In a separate meeting, the Russian president will discuss prospects for enhancing bilateral cooperation with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, as Moscow considers Pakistan one of its traditional partners in Asia. Putin will also meet with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid as part of continuing dialogue between Moscow and Baghdad. This step follows the visit of Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu to Iraq last August, during which both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening security and political cooperation.
Putin will hold a meeting with Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhammedow, the forum’s host and official host of international celebrations, as part of the growing relations between the two countries in the fields of energy and regional cooperation. The forum is organized this year under the activities approved by the United Nations General Assembly in its 78th session, based on a Turkmen initiative supported by 86 countries.
Turkmenistan has held internationally recognized “permanent neutrality” status since 1995, and the United Nations designated December 12 as International Neutrality Day in 2017, affirming Ashgabat’s role in promoting regional and international security and stability.
