Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul today for talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on spurring bilateral relations and a settlement in Syria.

The talks are part of a summit meeting of the Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council, said Putin aide Yuri Ushakov.

The parties to the talks will specifically focus on major joint trade and investment projects, high-tech cooperation, as well as cooperation in the field of production, research and technology, and in cultural and humanitarian ties.

Russia is Turkey’s second largest trade partner after Germany. Turkey ranks seventh in terms of the Russian foreign trade market.