Turkey, Russia agree to boost economic relations

Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler and Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko put their signatures under the agreement in Moscow.     Â

Guler is in Russia to participate in the eight meeting of the Turkish-Russian Joint Economic Committee.    Â

"Economic and commercial grandeur of the two countries will be a determining factor for Eurasia," Guler said during the signature ceremony.

He said Turkey and Russia would implement more concrete projects from now on.

Guler said the trade volume between Turkey and Russia has been around $40 billion and added the two countries could add oil and electricity to their actual natural gas agreement.

Guler said he discussed coal and renewable energy and cooperation in energy efficiency with Khristenko.

"We are opening a new page in this area (energy efficiency)," he also said.

Guler said two countries reached an agreement in principle to cooperate in using nuclear energy for civilian purposes, and told the gathering that Russia wanted to contribute to nuclear energy projects in Turkey.

Transportation is one of the most important aspects of the agreement, which solves main problems in land, sea and air transportation.

The agreement also envisages running a train-ferry line between Samsun (Turkey) and Kavkaz (Russia).

The test train-ferry service will be launched in October.

Turkish Transportation Minister Hilmi Guler is expected to return to Turkey in the evening.

Photo: AA