The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, met with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Ankara to take stock of the migration issue, and stated that “contrasting illegal migration is a strategic priority” for both countries.
“I wish to thank @MevlutCavusoglu for our meeting today. Contrasting illegal migration is a strategic priority of our governments, also to stabilize the Balkans and Libya. We are working to strengthen our economic relations, also with the Istanbul business forum." This is what the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Antonio Tajani, wrote on this Twitter account, after his visit to Ankara on January 13.
'Italy and Turkey share a common vision on security issues'
“Italy and Turkey share a common vision on many issues related to security and we are firmly committed to promoting international and regional stability, even within the scope of NATO, in relation to a series of regional crises," stated Tajani during an interview with the Turkish news agency Anadolu, during his visit to Ankara.
“We share a common point of view on migration policies in the Mediterranean and we are ready to cooperate closely to combat terrorism in all its ramifications, human trafficking and stopping illegal migration”, he specified.
25 billion dollars forecasted for bilateral trade
Tajani also underscored the close ties in the economic and cultural remits between the two countries.
“Based on long-standing cultural ties and a common Mediterranean identity, relations between Italy and Turkey have consolidated over time thanks to a fruitful political dialogue and ongoing economic and trade relations that became stronger over time, not to mention relevant exchanges within the scope of civil society," commented the Minister.
“Bilateral trade has reached record figures over the last two years (we forecast 25 billion dollars for this year). With Turkey as one of our principal economic and trade partners, we share the objective of reaching a volume of bilateral trade of 30 billion dollars in the coming years," he added.
"Thanks to the presence of over 1,500 Italian companies in the country, we must work to seize the opportunities that come with the closer supply chains worldwide. Last but not least, our cultural cooperation has taken off full speed after the pandemic, with a higher number of Turkish students enrolled at Italian Universities thanks to cooperation agreements also within the EU," concluded Tajani.