Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony for nuclear fuel loading at Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), which is under construction in the town of Buyukeceli, via video link in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Director of the Fourth European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Yuri Pilipson, relayed to Sputnik that Russia is hoping for more improvement of mutually beneficial cooperation with Turkey, believing that both countries can withstand Western pressure.

"Turkey is a major power, an influential regional player. In recent years, this country has been pursuing an independent trajectory on most issues in order to ensure, first of all, its own national interests. Such a principled approach, as already noted, contributes to the development of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. Of course, we look forward to its further improvement," Pilipson said, stressing that the bilateral cooperation has been actively improving in recent years.

"Not everyone in the world likes such effective interaction. Many in the West, unable to repeat our successes, choose to destroy what others have built. Apparently, such a destructive line with regard to Russian-Turkish relations will continue. However, I am confident that our Turkish colleagues and I will be able to resist the subversive efforts of hostile forces," he assured.

Russia's confidence in the Turkish NPP

For further support, Pilipson expressed Russia's confidence that Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) project will be implemented on schedule and in conformance with all required quality guidelines.

"Russia's relevant institutions have a wealth of experience in fulfilling tasks of various difficulty, they have enough competence combined with the talent, skills, and qualifications of nuclear scientists and workers so as to give an appropriate response to attempts to infringe on our interests. There is no doubt that the project of the Akkuyu NPP will be implemented in accordance with all required standards of quality, physical safety and on time," Pilipson said of the project that started construction back in 2018 by the Russian state nuclear corporation, Rosatom.

This follows after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the project is a key project of Russia and Turkey, which allows for the development of economic and neighborly ties between the countries.

During a video conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin emphasized that "this is a flagship project, it brings both mutual economic benefits and certainly contributes to strengthening the multifaceted partnership between our two states, which is based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect for and consideration of each other's interests."

The president revealed that he discussed increasing agricultural product supplies with Erdogan, doing everything possible to meet Turkey's natural gas needs, and providing Turkey with material for reconstruction after the devastating earthquakes.

Erdogan mentioned last month at the nuclear fuel loading ceremony at the nuclear power plant that Turkey has become a state with nuclear energy, albeit with a delay of 60 years, as he added that all blocs of the plant would be put into operation by 2028.