Russian FM Sergey Lavrov's visit to Turkey will dominate Ukraine & Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to travel to Turkey on Wednesday for talks expected to centre on the issue of establishing a mechanism that would allow Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea to global markets.

Turkey is involved in efforts by the United Nations to reach an agreement for the shipment of Ukrainian grain amid an escalating food crisis.

But the discussions in the Turkish capital are also expected to focus on Turkey's plans to launch a new cross-border offensive in northern Syria against Syrian Kurdish militia that Ankara considers to be a security threat.

Ankara needs Moscow's approval to continue its presence in northern Syria, despite the two supporting opposite sides in Syria's civil war.

In 2020, 37 Turkish soldiers were killed in Russian-backed airstrikes against rebels in Syria's last rebel-held Idlib province.

Turkey has maintained close ties to both Ukraine and Russia.

It has criticised Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has not joined international sanctions against Russia.

Lavrov's meeting also comes as Turkey, a NATO member, has voiced opposition to Sweden and Finland's bid to join the alliance.

Moscow has also objected to the Nordic countries' candidacy, which analysts say may play a role in discussions concerning Syria.

Turkey, which is struggling to cope with a major currency crisis, banks on tourism revenue to help its economy and provide vital foreign exchange and Russia is Turkey's main tourism market.

Moscow has exploited that situation in the past, stopping flights carrying tourists to Turkey and halting agricultural imports after Ankara downed a Russian military jet deployed in Syria in 2015.

Some 7 million Russians and 1.6 million Ukrainians visited Turkey in 2019.

Russia is a major source for Turkey's natural gas and is also building the country's first nuclear power plant.

The two countries signed a cooperation agreement in 2010 to build the plant and construction began in 2018.