Putin and Erdogan Plan Sochi Meeting on Sept. 4

Sept. 2, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—The Kremlin announced yesterday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, Sept. 4. “The parties are expected to discuss issues related to the future of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation and pressing global problems,” the Kremlin said in a Sept. 1 statement, reported TASS.

Ankara is hoping that those talks will be fruitful for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Russia exited on July 18. “The latest situation will be discussed at the summit to be held on Monday. We’re cautious, but we hope we’ll achieve success, because this is necessary for the whole world,” Akif Cagatay Kilic told Turkish news broadcaster A Haber. Kilic described the meetings of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow, including with Sergey Lavrov, on Sept. 1-2 as preparation for the meeting of the two presidents.

The Kremlin announcement came after Fidan met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. (in Russian) “Our efforts were focused on the grain deal for the last two months, in which we did our best,” Shoigu said according to the Russian Defense Ministry Telegram post. “We can say only one thing, that if promises made to Russia are fulfilled, the implementation of the grain deal will continue. In reality, it turned out to be more difficult, than create new corridors, new land routes.”