MOSCOW, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss energy ties with his former Cold War adversary.
Erdogan arrived Tuesday for a two-day trip to Moscow. Both sides are expected to discuss strengthening trade relationships, primarily in the energy sector, Russia's state run RIA Novosti news agency reports.
Erdogan is expected to "exchange views (with Moscow) on regional issues and economic problems on the agenda of the two states, above all, energy," the government said.
Ankara is embarking on a major diplomatic push to position itself as a bridge between the East and West. Erdogan last week said his country aimed to position itself as a regional player and not "an object."
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said last year that Moscow wanted to transport a significant portion of its gas to Europe through Turkish corridors, bypassing politically sensitive routes in Ukraine.
Putin met Erdogan in August, emerging with a Turkish agreement to host a portion of the South Stream gas pipeline to Europe in its territorial waters in the Black Sea.
Russia aims to diversify the regional energy sector with South Stream and its Nord Stream counterpart. Europe, for its part, looks to the Nabucco pipeline to secure its energy needs.
Ankara plays a role in Nabucco as well, hosting regional leaders in July for the signing of a milestone agreement in support of the project. Ankara insists Nabucco supplements South Stream, downplaying claims the two projects are rivals.
