ANKARA

Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have entered a new era in bilateral ties, the Turkish foreign minister said on Friday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Istanbul, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the two countries want to sign a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of the year.

"The UAE is our largest trading partner in the Gulf region. We reached $8 billion in bilateral trade volume in 2021. This figure we've reached has made us even more hopeful for the future," added Cavusoglu.

He went on to say that the two countries have the potential to easily reach $10 billion and that they needed to set a new trade volume target of at least $15 billion.

Referring to the global energy and food crisis, he said: "The war in Ukraine has shown once again that we need solidarity and unity more than ever."

Underlining that it would not be right to cut ties with every country over disagreements, Cavusoglu said that, in Libya, all parties are now acting together for a solution despite the differences of opinion that they previously had.

Also noting the deep historical and cultural ties between Turkiye and the UAE, the Turkish foreign minister emphasized that they have a strong will to enhance relations in every field.

'Increasing trade volume shows will of two countries'

For his part, Al Nahyan pointed out the increasing trade volume between the two countries.

The expansion of the trade volume by over 80% in the past two years shows the will of the two countries in this regard, he said.

He went on to say that there was huge interest in Turkiye among UAE companies for its potential in such fields as energy, tourism, and railways.

Al Nahyan also hailed Cavusoglu's recent visit to Israel and Palestine, stressing the importance of visiting for the peace process between Israel and Palestine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-day visit to Abu Dhabi on Feb. 13 marked another substantial turning point in previously sour relations between Turkiye and the UAE as both countries seek to end a feud that has for long defined the geopolitical arena of the Middle East and North Africa.


The two countries signed 13 agreements in various fields during Erdogan's visit to the Gulf country.