MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Turkey have a big potential in military technical and aerospace cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday shortly before Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's working visit to Russia scheduled for July 17-18. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said a joint commission coordinated this work. "Two important intergovernmental agreements signed during Vladimir Putin's December visit to Turkey will promote cooperation in this sphere," he said.
Yakovenko said Russia and Turkey intended to create favorable conditions for further development of cooperation in the Black Sea region. He said interaction within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Organization and the Blackseafor naval group was being discussed, "including joint efforts to ensure stability and security in the Black Sea region."
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said Russia was continuing the constructive dialogue with Turkey on a wide range of issues being guided by the plan of actions to develop cooperation in Eurasia signed in 2001.
In particular, "discussion of the key regional international problems, including prospects for Iraqi and Middle East settlement, the situation in Central Asia and Transcaucasia and around Cyprus" presented interest for Russia, Yakovenko said.
Yakovenko said contacts between ordinary people and public organizations of the two countries were actively developing, especially in humanitarian and cultural ties and tourism. Over 1.6 million Russians visited Turkey in 2004. There were plans to hold a Week of Russian Films in Turkey later in the year. "The agenda includes a Year of Russian Culture in Turkey and a Year of Turkish Culture in Russia," Yakovenko concluded.
