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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends.

I am very pleased to see you here on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Mr President. I have already congratulated you on your domestic political victories and would like to do so again.

Our bilateral relations are on the rise, it is clear. This includes the efforts to overcome crises, and I am primarily referring to the Syrian crisis, and the economy to which we are always paying closer attention. Last year our trade increased by 40.5 percent to over $22 billion. In the first five months of this year it increased by another 46 percent. We are carrying out all of our major projects according to plan.

I am very glad to see you and to confirm that we are on the same page with respect to our cooperation.

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (retranslated): My dear friend,

I would like to express gratitude and satisfaction on behalf of our delegation and from me personally over our meeting today on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. We agreed to meet here by telephone before the summit.

Relations between our countries – Turkey and Russia – are developing very quickly across the board – in the military, trade, cultural and tourism areas.

Our countries have set targets for trade, and I think we will reach them because we wholeheartedly believe in it.

Our tourism sector is doing well. I think that this year about 6 million Russian tourists will visit our country.

However, on the other hand we are seeing that our cooperation is causing envy from others.

(Speaks in Russian.) Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: You promised to invite me out to a restaurant.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: I am inviting you.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, but we agreed that we would go when you give our meat products access to your market, when restaurants make meals with Russian meat.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: I will be looking forward to your arrival.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

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