Pace president Cavusoglu: "Turkey and Russia should work together"

Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish parliamentarian currently serving as the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said yesterday that Turkey and Russia, the two main non-European Union actors in the European region, should work together to solve problems. He made his remarks at an international symposium in Moscow on education in Europe along with Sergei Mironov, the head of Russia's Federation Council, which co-organized the event with the Council of Europe. "As you know, there are two main actors in the European sphere that are not EU members: Turkey and Russia," said Cavusoglu. "Turkey and Russia should cooperate to solve problems, particularly in the Balkans, Caucasus, and many other regions." Cavusoglu told reporters that Turkey "successfully carries out tasks it has assumed in both regional and international bodies, such as the United Nations and NATO. Our profile in the international arena as well as in decision-making bodies is rising because we're doing the right thing in working to promote stability and world peace." Cavusoglu said Turkey and Russia have good relations and working cooperation, adding that Russia is Turkey's top trade partner with an expected future annual trade volume of $100 billion.