MOSCOW

Russia’s partnership with Türkiye “is at its peak, built on years of experience,” President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

"Both sides are determined to further develop relations based on the principles of good neighborliness, partnership and mutual benefit,” he said.

Putin welcomed and accepted credentials from the ambassadors of 21 countries at the Kremlin including Türkiye’s Ambassador Tanju Bilgic and congratulated the diplomats on their new roles.

He said he maintains constant contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussing important issues related to bilateral relations.

"In the energy sector, Russian-Turkish cooperation is genuinely strategic. Rosatom, the Russian State Nuclear Energy Corporation, is progressing with the construction of Türkiye's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu. We (also) have close collaboration in the natural gas sector, including the operation of the Blue Stream and TurkStream pipelines,” he said.

"Efforts are underway to establish a natural gas distribution center in Türkiye, and we have various interesting projects and collaborations in trade and high technology.”

Putin mentioned the upcoming celebration of Volunteer Day in Russia and highlighted a competition involving volunteer teams from 95 countries.

He noted that a team from Türkiye won in the category of supporting low-income families.