ISTANBUL, May 27 (KUNA) -- The relationship between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates entered a new era, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Cavusoglu said his country has a desire to sign a comprehensive trade agreement with the UAE by the end of the year.
"The UAE is our largest trading partner in the Gulf region. We reached USD 8 billion in bilateral trade volume in 2021. This figure we've reached has made us even more hopeful for the future," added Cavusoglu, according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency.
He pointed out that the two sides have the potential to easily hit USD 10 billion and that they needed to set a new trade volume target of at least USD 15 billion.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdullah said that his country hopes to promote joint efforts with Turkey to double partnership in several areas mainly Africa.
He added that the expansion of the trade volume rose over 80 percent in the past two years. He affirmed that he discussed with Cavusoglu some international challenges mainly the food security issue.
Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of returning to the peace process and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. (end) ta.hm