MOSCOW 

Trade turnover between Russia and Türkiye doubled in the first nine months of this year to reach $45 billion, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday. 

In an online meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Lavrov hailed the Black Sea region as “a crossroads of peoples, cultures, religions, and civilizations.”

The importance of the Black Sea region is growing with the formation of a new multipolar world, with “positive trends” already evident, he said.

“For example, in nine months of this year, the trade turnover between Russia and Türkiye doubled and reached $45 billion,” said Lavrov.

He also told his BSEC counterparts that Moscow is “negotiating with Ankara and other foreign colleagues on establishing a gas distribution center in Türkiye.”

Another constructive regional initiative, the Black Sea grain deal, helped some of the world’s poorest countries, he added.

Lavrov welcomed proposals to adapt the BSEC’s agenda to current realities, highlighting transport, energy, digitalization, climate, and health as priority areas.

He said cooperation with other international groups will help the BSEC fulfill its potential, while voicing support for the idea of a “Big Eurasian partnership.”

The diplomat criticized attempts to damage cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union, terming them “another manifestation of the West’s actions against Russia’s legitimate security interests.”

The success of the BSEC depends on its ability to refrain from politicizing economic issues and focusing on moving forward with mutually beneficial cooperation, he emphasized.

The BSEC is a regional group focusing on multilateral political and economic initiatives to foster cooperation, peace, stability, and prosperity in the Black Sea region.

Its member states are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine.