Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak is expected to visit Türkiye accompanied by a large delegation Friday, according to a report Thursday.
Novak, along with a 60-person delegation, is expected to engage in a series of meetings in Ankara, a report by a Turkish private broadcaster A Haber said.
The agenda includes the talks on the proposed idea of setting up a natural gas hub in Türkiye and the grain agreement.
The Kremlin last October floated the idea of creating a major gas-trading hub in Türkiye as Moscow worked to reroute its energy exports after European countries sharply cut their imports from Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine. The plan followed unexplained explosions that damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia with Germany under the Baltic Sea.
According to the Turkish media report, the agenda of the meeting would also include talks on the current situation in Gaza, as Türkiye continues its diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire and the establishment of lasting peace.
Furthermore, the meetings are likely to address the Russia-Ukraine war as well.
Türkiye has positioned itself as an intermediary in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was a key player in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Moscow withdrew from the accord on July 17, accusing the West of hampering its own grain and fertilizer exports. Russia’s grain and fertilizer exports are not subject to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. But Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have been a barrier to shipments.
Since Russia's withdrawal from the deal, Ukraine opened a new "humanitarian corridor" in August, while Russian authorities announced last week that they began the free grain shipments to six African countries as promised following the collapse of the grain deal.
The possibility of a new agreement could be discussed in Friday meetings, as per reports.
In a statement he made Wednesday, Novak was meanwhile reported saying that oil production in Russia would decrease by 8 million tons this year compared to last year, and natural gas production would decrease by 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) thus raising concerns over global energy security.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, national intelligence head Ibrahim Kalın and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı are expected to be at the table, the report indicated.
