Turkey: Parliament President Visits Russia
BRICS energy ministers will meet in Moscow later this week in preparation for the group's summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 22-24
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, accompanied by a large delegation of Turkish MPs, left for Moscow on Monday, September 23, for a three-day official visit. The program of the visit includes a series of meetings and negotiations in the Russian capital with colleagues from the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, during which the current situation and prospects of bilateral relations between Moscow and Ankara will be discussed, but also on regional and global issues.
On Wednesday, September 25, Kurtulmus will deliver a speech to members of the Russian parliament, after which the Turkish delegation will be received in the Kremlin by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom, among other things, the conversation will concern the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the war in the Gaza Strip, and Turkey’s request to join the BRICS group.
Turkey has played a constructive mediation role since the Russian military operation in Ukraine began in February 2022, but Moscow has recently been disappointed by statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has spoken out in favor of Ukraine’s territorial integrity: emphasizing that for Turkey, the Crimean Peninsula remains an “integral part” of Ukraine.
With the expansion of BRICS by 5 new members in early 2024, the number of countries willing to join this reputable international organization is increasing day by day. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told at a press conference that “the number of foreign leaders who have confirmed their readiness to attend the BRICS summit to be held in Kazan next October 22 to 24 continues to grow.” According to Russian press reports, more than 35 heads of state and government will attend the annual BRICS summit.
Preparations are very intensive: on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week, which will be held in Moscow from September 26 to 28, BRICS energy ministers will meet to analyze current and future cooperation. As President Putin stated in his message to the participants of the BRICS “energy wing” meeting, “in the course of the negotiations it will be necessary to agree on fair energy transition principles, common for the BRICS countries, and to outline ways to strengthen the role of BRICS in the global energy dialogue.”
