At the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), taking place on Oct. 12-13 in Astana, Kazakhstan, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were among the many leaders who held bilateral meetings on the sidelines. At the meeting, Putin said that “Turkiye is currently the most reliable transit country for gas supplies to Europe,” and proposed “we can consider building another gas pipeline and establishing a gas hub in Turkiye for trade with third countries, first of all European countries, of course, but only if they are interested.” The proposal was apparently favorably received by Erdogan. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: “Instructions were immediately given by both Presidents—right during the negotiations—to work on this issue. Various options have even been discussed.”
The two leaders also discussed the Ukraine grain deal, brokered by Erdogan, and Russia’s construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkiye, the construction of which reportedly will be finished on schedule.
