Energy, Armenia protocols to top Turkish PM's Russia talks

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and up to eight Cabinet ministers will visit Russia on Jan. 12-13 for talks expected to focus on greater Russian involvement in an oil pipeline linking Turkey's southern and northern coasts and the process of rapprochement between Turkey and Russia's regional ally Armenia.

he talks are expected to be in the format of a joint cabinet meeting, not unlike similar meetings held in earlier visits by Erdoğan to Syria and Iraq. In past remarks, Erdoğan said his government wants to establish a mechanism with Russia similar to the high-level strategic councils created between Turkey and Syria and Turkey and Iraq last year. An agreement to initiate a similar mechanism with Russia was signed when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Ankara in August. Erdoğan's visit to Moscow will be the first step in this direction. Later, another meeting of the two countries' cabinets is planned to take place in Turkey.

According to the unofficial program, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız, Public Works Minister Mustafa Demir, Environment Minister Veysel Eroğlu, Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan and State Minister Faruk Çelik will accompany Erdoğan for talks focusing on regional problems, energy projects, joint investment opportunities and international issues.

One of the most important issues on the agenda of the meeting is the future of the planned Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Turkish and Russian officials are expected to announce an agreement during the visit allowing Russian oil pipeline operator Transneft and Russian oil company Rosneft to have a share in the $2.5 billion pipeline, which will run between Samsun on Turkey’s Black Sea coast and the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.

Peace in the Caucasus will be one of the top issues on the agenda of the Moscow visit.

The joint cabinet meeting will also discuss forming a Caucasus Cooperation and Stability Platform, a joint mechanism to solve regional problems earlier proposed by Turkey.

A process of rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia may also speed up following Turkish-Russian talks.

/TODAY'S ZAMAN/