"Of course, yes. It is impossible to abandon this goal," Zeybekci said, answering a question about the relevance of the plans to boost trade turnover with Russia to $100 billion.
He added that it was necessary to mend ties with Moscow and to fix the inflicted damage in the bilateral relations.
Nihat Zeybekci also said that he was planning to pay visits to Russia and Belarus.
"In the nearest time we are planning to hold a meeting [with Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev] Maybe it will take place in Kazan or Moscow. [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan] is expected to visit Belarus, it is likely that I will come to Moscow ahead of [Erdogan's visit] and will head off to Belarus then," Zeybekci said.
Zeybekci added that he had maintained regular phone contacts with Ulyukayev before.
On June 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Erdogan in a letter addressed to Putin apologized over the downing of the Su-24 aircraft and extended condolences to the family of the pilot killed in the incident.
By doing so Ankara fulfilled one of the conditions put forward by Moscow following the incident that paralyzed the long-term partnership between the two countries. The letter also said legal proceedings were underway against the Turkish citizen allegedly involved in the Russian pilot’s death – another condition named by Russia in order to restore severed ties.
