During the trip, Russia's top diplomat will meet with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to discuss bilateral relations between the countries, the situation in Ukraine, Syria and a number of other regional issues.
Talks about the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and the operation of the TurkStream gas pipeline are also expected to be on the agenda.
Turkiye and Syria Rapprochement
On the eve of Lavrov's visit to Turkiye, four-party consultations were held in Moscow at the level of deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Turkiye, Syria and Iran. The main purpose of the summit was to resolve the contradictions between Ankara and Damascus and to normalize relations between the two sides. This meeting was a preparation for the summit between the foreign ministers of the two countries.
NPP "Akkuyu"
Another matter to be discussed between the top diplomats is the launch of Akkuyu nuclear power plant – the first NPP in Turkiye, constructed with the help of Russia.
There were speculations that Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally oversee the launch ceremony, however Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that no exact decisions were made yet. However, he added that Russia will be adequately represented and will take part in the ceremony.
Another economic matter Lavrov and Cavusoglu are likely to discuss is a creation of gas hub in Turkiye. This hub will allow to redirect gas supplies from the damaged Nord Stream pipeline. However, as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak previously stated, it implies not only the creation of a trading platform in Turkiye, but also the development of infrastructure and the increase of supplies in the southern direction.
Istanbul Grain Deal
Finally, the issue of the Istanbul grain will be addressed. Political scientists believe that Ankara will ask Russia to further extend the deal; on March 18 Moscow extended it for only 60 days, and not for 120.
The Kremlin stressed that this was a "gesture of good will", since the second part of the deal, which provides for the unblocking of Russian exports of food and fertilizers, has not yet been fulfilled.
Turkiye is also likely to share its ideas on the settlement of the Ukraine crisis, however, experts believe that no breakthrough should be expected on the matter.