"Overall our relations are moving in the right direction, we plan not only to return to the pre-crisis level but to reach new heights," Cavusoglu said in an interview ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin visit to Turkey.
He also said that both sides are doing their utmost to catch up with all missed opportunities after an eight-month halt in the relations.
"We support the dialogue to resolve disagreements on a number of issues on which we have differences with the Russian side. Under the framework of the dialogue, there are working mechanisms which we have launched. For example, we are currently focusing our efforts on the Syrian settlement. On the other hand, we are taking steps to raise our economic and political relations to a new, more advanced level," the foreign minister concluded.
The meeting between Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled for October 10.
Turkey plans to improve bilateral ties with Russia in the field of energy, particularly regarding Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) and the Turkish stream pipeline projects, Turkish Foreign Minister said.
"The implementation of the Akkuyu NPP and the first pipeline of the Turkish Stream project are of significant importance for us… Turkey wants to diversify its energy sources. We will purchase from the country which will offer us the best deal. As for now, Russia along with Azerbaijan are the countries which sells gas on the best conditions for us… Thus, we plan to develop energy cooperation with Russia, particularly under the framework of the two mentioned projects," Cavusoglu said in an interview ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin visit to Turkey.
Russia and Turkey signed an agreement to construct and operate Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at the Akkuyu site in the southern Turkish province of Mersin in May 2010. The plant is expected to produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year.
The Turkish Stream project, which was planned to bring Russian gas via the Black Sea into Turkey and southern Europe, was suspended after a Russian Su-24 aircraft was downed by a Turkish F-16 fighter in Syria on November 24, 2015. In June, following Turkey's apology to Russia for the November incident, the sides began a reconciliation process.
In August, Gazprom's project management department official Anatoly Fayantsev said that the energy giant was willing to sign an intergovernmental agreement on the Turkish Stream with Turkey and was planning to update a roadmap for the halted project.
