Türkiye and Gabon have signed several deals spanning various crucial areas, including mining, energy and military cooperation, following talks between Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema in Ankara on Thursday.
Turkish President Erdogan emphasised his country's commitment to helping Africa's development on a win-win basis, while the Gabonese leader Nguema hailed the mutual respect between Türkiye and African countries.
"With the agreements we signed, we confirmed our determination to advance our relations. Recently, our companies have been undertaking significant projects in Gabon in the fields of construction and energy. The total value of the projects undertaken by our contractors has exceeded $2.5 billion," President Erdogan said.
"Similarly, we are ready to share our experience with Gabon in fields such as agriculture, fisheries, science, and technology. I consider the services provided by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation in Gabon, where Turkish Airlines operates direct flights since 2018, as very valuable. We are preparing to increase the capacity of the (Maarif) school, which currently educates nearly 700 students, and to open new educational institutions. Gabon is the first country on the African continent to provide the most rapid support to our fight against FETO," the Turkish president added.
New opportunities
Gabon’s President Nguema, on his part, expressed confidence in the growing cooperation between the two countries, saying ties with Türkiye are built on "reciprocal respect and understanding."
A total of eight agreements were signed by respective officials from the two countries during President Nguema’s visit, according to Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications.
Türkiye, which has taken steps to improve cooperation with African countries, has signed three agreements with Gabon in the fields of energy, hydrocarbons, and mining, according to the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
Under the agreement, the two countries will develop joint projects, especially in the field of renewable energy. They will also share experiences, including in areas of military training, vocational skills and oil and gas exploration.
As part of strengthening their relations in the field of hydrocarbons, the agreement aims to evaluate investment opportunities in the oil and natural gas sectors, develop trade, and encourage search and production activities.
"With these agreements, we aim to evaluate new opportunities and develop new opportunities in many areas such as the exploration and production of natural gas and oil, from renewable energy, electricity transmission and distribution to mining," Türkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said.
"I wish the agreements to be good for our countries and to lay the groundwork for new projects and strong cooperation," Bayraktar added.
The latest visit to Türkiye by the Gabonese leader, who was sworn in as elected president in May, comes as ties between Ankara and African countries continue to grow in various fields, including economy, security, diplomacy and education as well as people-to-people relations.
