ISTANBUL, September 2 (RIA Novosti) - Turkish President Abdullah Gul will pay an official visit to Russia in late 2008, the Russian foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"Our political dialogue is developing intensively and in this connection we have discussed today the forthcoming visit [to Russia] of Turkish President Abdullah Gul, slated for late 2008," Sergei Lavrov said following his meeting with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan in Istanbul.

The foreign ministers discussed among other issues the problem of delays in bilateral cargo deliveries caused by complicated customs procedures.

"...our customs services will hold talks to work out a proposal on the simplified registration of documents upon the delivery of cargoes," Lavrov said.

This is Lavrov's second visit to Turkey this year, following talks with Babacan in Istanbul in July