Türkiye, UAE sign 7 key agreements to deepen strategic ties

ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Seven bilateral agreements were signed on Wednesday in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marking a significant step forward in strategic cooperation between the two nations.

Following their one-on-one meeting and the inaugural session of the Türkiye–UAE High-Level Strategic Council, the two leaders oversaw the signing ceremony held in Ankara.

Expressing his satisfaction in hosting Sheikh Mohammed and his delegation, President Erdogan said: "During my 2023 visit to Abu Dhabi, we laid the foundation of our strategic partnership with my esteemed brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed."

"Thankfully, this partnership has begun to bear fruit across nearly every sector — from trade and infrastructure to defense, energy, technology, and transportation, we have made significant progress in all areas."

“Only a few years ago, we were wondering whether a $10 billion trade volume was within reach,” President Erdogan said, adding that this year, the goal is to exceed $20 billion. “With decisive steps from both sides, I’m confident we’ll meet our medium-term target of $40 billion,” he said.

Erdogan said he and Sheikh Mohammed had a productive exchange, not only on bilateral ties but also on regional challenges, particularly Gaza.

As part of the agreements, a memorandum of understanding on investment cooperation in the field of tourism and hospitality was signed by Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, head of the Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye, and UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi.

Additional memoranda focused on strengthening investment cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector, industrial and manufacturing sectors, and the fields of food and agriculture.

An MoU on the establishment of a joint consular committee was signed by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz and UAE State Minister Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar.

An agreement on mutual protection of classified information was signed by Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and UAE State Minister for Defense Affairs Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, while another memorandum on cooperation in polar research was signed by Türkiye’s Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir and UAE Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.