ANKARA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Thursday told his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim by phone that Moscow had removed the import ban on some Turkish agricultural products, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Yildirim and Medvedev hold a phone conversation ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Moscow on Friday in a bid to enhance bilateral ties.

During the call, Medvedev confirmed that he had signed a decree lifting sanctions imposed by Russia on some Turkish agricultural products, Anadolu said citing Turkish prime ministry source.

The premiers also expressed their "pleasure" about the improvement of bilateral relations, and convoyed their "determination" to bolster the ties.

The sixth High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting will be held in Moscow on Friday, with attendance by Erdogan, Putin and government ministers from both sides.

Turkish President Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Putin are expected to sign agreements to boost cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, military and culture.

The Turkish presidency announced in a statement Tuesday that the two leaders will exchange views on regional and international issues, particularly Syria.

"Several agreements will be signed during the visit, which is expected to contribute to the development of Turkish-Russian relations," it added.

Relations between Turkey and Russia deteriorated after Turkey shot down a Russian jet over the Turkey-Syria border in November 2015. Russia imposed sanctions on various Turkish agricultural products last year, as a result of the jet crisis.

After the start of the normalization process, Russia removed sanctions on some of these products, particularly on citrus fruits, however the majority of the sanctions still remain.