Turkey’s growing political, diplomatic and economic relations with European countries over the last year was celebrated in a meeting between the Turkish and Maltese presidents in Ankara Thursday.
The two Mediterranean countries have pledged to boost bilateral economic and political ties. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized Malta’s support for Turkey’s accession to the EU.
In a joint press conference with the Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Erdoğan said that visa liberalization and updating the existing customs union would increase bilateral trade and investments.
The modernization of the customs union between Turkey and the EU has been on both parties’ agenda for more than two years now. Although they have expressed the will to take steps to update the agreement, as it will be advantageous for both sides, no concrete development has so far been taken. Yet, efforts to maintain dialogue continue, with a particular insistence on the benefits it will yield for both sides.
Turkey is the only non-EU country that has had a customs union agreement with the bloc – inked back in 1966. Turkey has been one of the largest trade partners of the EU with exports worth $84 billion and imports up to $80 billion in 2018 alone.
In its Dec. 21, 2016, assessment, the EU Commission proposed modernizing the current deal, which only covers a limited range of industrial products and excludes agriculture, public procurement and services.
President Erdoğan said that he discussed all aspects of bilateral relations with his Maltese counterpart. He particularly pointed to the opportunity to cooperate in the energy sector, as well as in tourism, education, culture, finance and infrastructure.
During a business council meeting Wednesday and the delegation’s meetings yesterday, the two countries agreed on cooperating in the pharmaceutical industry, Erdoğan said and noted that there is great potential to work together in the renewable energy sector.
“Turkey is willing to share its experience in wind and solar power plants,” Erdoğan said and added that Turkey was eager to share its experience and know-how in the defense industry with Malta.
“Turkish and Maltese businesspeople would benefit to a great extent from joint investment projects in third countries,” he said.
President Erdoğan also highlighted the common will to boost bilateral trade. “We should boost bilateral trade to the previously set target of $2 billion. Accordingly, in the first phase, we need to increase the trade volume to $1 billion and then to $2 billion.” He stressed that both countries have pledged to do so.
