Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held talks in Ankara on Tuesday on means to boost bilateral relations between their countries in various fields.
They also tackled regional developments, notably the war on Gaza and the ongoing Israeli violations against the Palestinian people.
Sheikh Meshal had arrived in Türkiye on an official visit on Tuesday. He held official talks with Erdogan at the presidential palace that were later followed by expanded talks between their respective delegations.
Discussions focused on cooperation in economy, trade, energy, defense industries, tourism, investment and health.
Both parties signed several cooperation agreements, protocols and memoranda of understanding covering a range of fields.
Türkiye was Sheikh Meshal’s first destination outside Gulf and Arab countries since he ascended the throne on December 16.
The visit coincided with Kuwait and Türkiye marking 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.
On the eve of the visit, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Türkiye Wael al-Enezi said the trip caps six decades of strategic cooperation between their countries.
In remarks to the Kuwaiti state news agency (KUNA), he added that the trip will bolster the close bilateral relations between them on the political, economic, trade, investment, defense and security levels.
Enezi noted that the decades have been marked by significant achievements and moments in their shared history. He cited the signing of 62 memoranda of understanding and joint protocols throughout that period.
Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Tuba Nur Sonmez said Kuwait was a source of stability in the region.
The volume of trade between Türkiye and Kuwait reached 700 million dollars in 2023 “and we are aiming to double this figure in the coming years,” she said. Kuwait boasts investments worth 2 billion dollars in Türkiye in 2023.
She noted that the country introduced a series of reforms that should improve the investment environment in Türkiye, stressing that its economy was growing at a stronger pace than ever.
