Officials said the complete accord could be signed during the visit by
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Ankara, expected to take place around
May 2010. They said Ankara and Moscow hoped to use the agreement to increase
trade to $100 billion by 2015.
"The Russian-Turkish relationship is improving," Medvedev said. "It is
really a strategic partnership."
In November 2009, Turkey canceled a nuclear energy reactor tender, the
sole bid for which was submitted by Russia's state-owned Atomstroyexport.
The Turkish government determined that Atomstroyexport's offer was too
expensive, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The panel will draft the legal, technical and economic foundations of a
nuclear energy agreement," an official said.
Officials said Turkey plans to reopen the nuclear tender by mid-2010.
They said Atomstroyexport would submit a revised bid for the $1 billion
project to
build the first of four 1,200-megawatt nuclear energy reactors.
"Not only in the sphere of natural gas but in crude products, there
exists a whole series of opportunities," Erdogan said. "I see this meeting
as a huge opportunity."
