Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Sunday that Turkey and the Maldives have agreed to establish a joint economic committee.
In an official visit to the archipelagic nation, Çavuşoğlu held a joint press conference with his Maldivian counterpart, Abdulla Shahid, in the capital Male, noting that this committee would deepen their economic cooperation and increase bilateral trade volume.
Çavusoğlu underlined that the two countries bilateral trade volume had doubled last year, adding that one of the agreements signed during his visit was on trade and economic cooperation.
The countries aim to increase their trade volume to $100 million (TL 1.3 billion) over the next two years, he said, emphasizing that interest in the Maldives is rising among Turkish business circles and investors.
With many Turkish firms particularly keen on investing in the Maldives’ tourism sector, Çavusoğlu said that the country is an extremely popular tourist destination among Turkish citizens, adding that there are plans to increase the number of flights between the countries.
Diplomatic cooperation
Congratulating Shahid on his election as president of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, Çavuşoğlu said this was an indicator of the international community’s confidence in the Maldives.
He underlined that Turkey would keep supporting the Maldives in international fora, stating that their cooperation and coordination would continue at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the U.N., and other platforms.
Çavuşoğlu also stressed that Male had Ankara’s backing in its bid to host the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Climate change is another common concern between Turkey and the Maldives, and the two countries have signed a cooperation agreement on this issue, he stated.
He said that the two countries would maintain their cooperation and continue exchanging ideas on climate change and the environment. Turkey favors financial and technical support for fragile and least developed countries over environmental issues and climate. -Agencies
