Kremlin: Putin to meet Turkey's Erdogan, UK's May, Saudi's bin Salman in China

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a news conference following their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin


MOSCOW Russian leader Vladimir Putin will hold a number of high-level bilateral meetings on the sidelines of Sept. 4-5 summit in Hangzhou, China, a Kremlin aide told reporters on Tuesday.


Putin will hold talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sept. 3 as the "process of normalization of relations between the two countries is under way", Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said.


After the Russian jet was shot down in November last year near the Syrian-Turkish border, Russia imposed trade restrictions on Ankara. However, the relations started to thaw after conciliatory moves from Ankara in July.


Both already met earlier this month in St Petersburg


On Sept.4, Putin will discuss a need for "a new impetus in bilateral relations" with British Prime Minister Theresa May and he will also meet Saudi Arabia's powerful deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Syrian crisis.


Ushakov also said that a previously agreed trilateral meeting of leaders from Russia, Germany and France, who were poised to discuss Ukraine's crisis, will not take place.


Instead, Putin will meet separately with French President Francois Hollande on Sept.4 - though the date is still being discussed - and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sept. 5.


Ushakov said that the meeting was called off due to a rising tension over Crimea peninsula.


Putin is also due to talk to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sept 5.


(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin)

Editor's Pick