Putin and Erdogan to speak by phone, attend fuel delivery ceremony at Akkuyu NPP by video link on Thursday - Peskov

MOSCOW. April 27 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, with the two leaders then taking part in a ceremony to mark the delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) via video link, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The president is now working in the Kremlin. He is holding non-public working meetings. The rest of the day will be split into two parts. The first part is international. We expect a phone conversation between Putin and Erdogan at around 3:00 p.m., after which Putin and President of Turkey Erdogan will jointly participate in a ceremony to mark the delivery of nuclear fuel to Unit 1 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant," Peskov told reporters.

The presidents will take part in the ceremony by video link, he said.

Reporters then drew Peskov's attention to media reports about the health problems being experienced by Erdogan, and asked him whether Russia is ready to offer medical aid to the Turkish president.

"We know nothing of these problems. We are getting ready for the phone call and substantive communication between the two presidents," he said.

"The evening will be dedicated to the development and production of unmanned aircraft. To this end, Putin will go to the Rudnevo industrial park, where he and [Moscow Mayor] Sergei Sobyanin, our business representatives, and representatives of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives will visit the park, and will be shown the stands, prototypes and different facilities," Peskov said.