Türkiye working to expand cooperation with Vietnam: President Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday met with his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam in New York.

The closed-door meeting took place at Turkish House, or Turkevi, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The leaders discussed bilateral relations, as well as regional and global developments, according to the Turkish Communications Directorate.

Erdogan welcomed Vietnam's positive response to Türkiye's proposal to elevate bilateral relations to the level of a "strategic partnership," according to the statement.

The Turkish president said Ankara was working to expand cooperation with Vietnam in a range of areas, particularly investment, trade and the defense industry.

Erdogan also stressed the importance of continued cooperation between the two countries in international forums and said Türkiye and Vietnam should maintain their efforts to work together on global issues.

During the meeting, Erdogan congratulated To Lam on his election as Vietnam's president.

He also invited To Lam to attend the Leaders' Summit of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, which Türkiye is scheduled to host in Antalya in November.

Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Vietnam were established on June 7, 1978.