Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia and Turkey have been effective in addressing urgent regional and international issues.

He made the remarks in a message of greetings to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the 95th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey, according to the Kremlin.

The foundation of "friendly and neighborly" relations between the two countries was laid in the early days of Turkey, and Moscow and Ankara continue to develop constructive cooperation in all spheres today, Putin said.

Russia imposed a number of restrictions on Turkey and froze bilateral projects after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24M fighter bomber in November 2015, but bilateral relations gradually recovered after Erdogan apologized in June 2016.

The two countries are actively mediating a political settlement of the Syrian crisis. They are also implementing joint energy projects, including the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant, the country's first nuclear power plant.