Türkiye and the EU developed a consensus on enhancing economic relations and increasing cooperation in all areas, Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek has said.
The EU and Türkiye held the first High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) meeting in six years in Brussels on Thursday.
The meeting was chaired by Türkiye's Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
"We held the Türkiye-European Union High-Level Economic Dialogue meeting today in Brussels, after a six-year hiatus, in a very constructive atmosphere," Simsek said on X.
"In the productive meetings with our EU counterparts, a consensus emerged on enhancing economic relations and increasing cooperation in all areas," he added.
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Modernisation of customs union
Issues such as the modernisation of the Customs Union and visa facilitation were also discussed between the two sides.
"The deepening of relations with Europe-based international financial institutions was evaluated," Simsek noted.
"The HLED represents a mutual commitment to strengthening the EU-Türkiye economic and financial relations," said a joint statement issued following the meeting.
The statement emphasised that the meeting was an important step toward strengthening relations between Türkiye and the EU.
"Türkiye is a candidate country and a key EU partner. In a challenging geopolitical environment, EU-Türkiye relations should be guided by values, such as respect for the rule of law, democracy, media freedom, and human rights, which also play a key role in sustaining economic confidence and facilitating the business environment,” said the statement
"In the government-to-government session, the parties reviewed the latest economic policy developments and prospects in Türkiye and the EU, amid a challenging and highly uncertain global outlook.
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Competitiveness and economic sustainability
The meeting was also attended by the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Council of Europe Development Bank, whereby all the parties stressed the importance of the work undertaken by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to increase competitiveness, economic sustainability, and cohesion.
The joint statement noted that the EU-Türkiye Business-to-Business meeting was also held within the scope of the HLED, bringing together representatives of the Turkish and EU business worlds, representatives of international financial institutions, and national development banks participating in the Türkiye Investment Platform.
The opportunities for further development of Türkiye-EU economic, financial, and investment relations were also discussed in the HLED meeting, the statement noted, with a particular emphasis on strengthening competitiveness and facilitating SMEs' access to long-term financing.
The two sides also decided to hold the next High-Level Economic Dialogue meeting in Türkiye.
