Russia to "gradually" lift commercial sanctions on Turkey

MOSCOW, June 30 (KUNA) -- Russia will start to gradually lift commercial sanctions on Turkey as both nations continue to mend political ties, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday.
In a statement carried by TASS News Agency, Medvedev said that he has asked the government to progressively lift sanctions against Turkey in a way that would improve ties between both nations, while also ensuring that it would not be detrimental to Russian companies.
Moreover, the Russian Prime Minister noted that his country is ready to resume tourist ties with Turkey, provided that Ankara takes "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety of Russian tourists.
In a phone conversation on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to normalize bilateral ties, soured after Turkey downed a Russian warplane near the Syrian border last November.
Meanwhile, in a statement carried by Interfax News Agency, the Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that plans are underway to set up a meeting between Putin and Erdogan, adding that it could take place at the G20 summit in China in September. (end) as.nam