Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in St.Petersburg on August 9, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Tuesday. 
The meeting will be the first since Russia and Turkey began normalizing relations following the downing of a Russian jet in November last year, Turkish Anadolu Agency (AA) reported. 
Speaking ahead of a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkadiy Dvorkovich in Moscow, Simsek said the two countries wanted to normalize relations "as quickly as possible". 
"Russia is not only our valuable neighbor, but also our important and strategic partner," Simsek said. 
"We are here to improve our relations and bring them to an even higher level than before Nov. 24," he added. 
Following the downing of a Russian fighter jet that violated Turkish airspace on Nov. 24 relations between the two countries soured rapidly. 

Source : QNA