MOSCOW, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Turkey on Wednesday vowed to expand energy cooperation during a meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
In the meeting with Erdogan, Medvedev said the improving Russian-Turkish relations were indeed those of a strategic partnership.
"Trade and economic cooperation was vigorously developing and remains quite weighty despite certain losses," Medvedev said.
Moscow and Ankara are implementing major projects in the energy sector, he said, adding that hopefully the two countries could make a further step to enhance bilateral relations during Erdogan's visit.
Meanwhile, Putin told Erdogan that Russia and Turkey should diversify their cooperation in various fields.
Although bilateral trade volume plunged 40 percent in 2009 due to the global economic downturn, said Putin, Turkey remains one of Russia's largest trade partners.
Erdogan for his part said diversification efforts were under way in bilateral cooperation on military, business and cultural fields.
The Turkish prime minister also eyed broad prospect for the two countries to cooperate in the oil field, in addition to the South Stream gas pipeline project.
During an August visit to Turkey, Putin inked a deal with Erdogan to allow the planned Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline to go through Turkey's Black Sea waters.
Planned to carry 63 billion cubic meters of gas annually and expected to be completed by 2015, the South Stream pipeline was designed to ship natural gas from the Russian coast through the Black Sea to Europe.
Also on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said Moscow plans to participate in the construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, with the terms of participation being discussed.
The 555-kilometer oil pipeline launched last April was expected to have a daily capacity of 1.5 million barrels. It could transfer Russian oil from the Black Sea city of Samsun to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.
