Critical Sochi Summit Concludes: Erdogan and Putin Issue Joint Statement

The meeting between AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi lasted approximately three hours.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while commenting on the meeting, stated, "The initial phase of the talks was constructive, and no document signings anticipated after the meeting."

Subsequently, the two leaders addressed the media. Putin, speaking first, conveyed the following key messages in his speech:

• We have witnessed an 80% growth in our bilateral trade and are committed to using our domestic currencies. We have reached an agreement to reduce our reliance on the US dollar and the euro.
• We aware that 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas flow through the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream pipelines. We want to emphasize that Russia will remain the largest partner in the natural gas sector.
• We are prepared to reactivate the Grain Agreement if all sanctions on the export of Russian agricultural products lifted.
• Russia, Turkey, and Qatar are willing to provide free grain to impoverished nations.
• We are ready to process 1 million tonnes of Russian grain into flour in Turkey at a concessional price, with Qatar's financial support. Qatar is also considering this for humanitarian purposes. We are currently collaborating with six African countries.
• We do not view the grain project with Turkey and Qatar as an alternative to the Black Sea initiative.

Erdoğan conveyed his messages as follows:

• I hope that the new initiatives by the United Nations will yield positive results.
• Ukraine should consider adopting a more conciliatory approach.
• We are prepared to send grain products in the form of flour to African countries.