Türkiye, EU revive economic talks with new summit
ANKARA
Türkiye and the European Union will kick off a new round of high-level economic dialogue on April 3 in Brussels, aiming to boost ties six years after their last meeting, the Treasury and Finance Ministry announced.
The High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) mechanism, established at the Türkiye-EU Summit on Nov. 29, 2015, previously held meetings in 2016, 2017 and 2019, hosted by Türkiye (first and third) and Belgium (second).
Revived at the EU General Affairs Council in December 2024 and endorsed by EU leaders, the upcoming talks signal a fresh push to deepen economic cooperation.
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, alongside EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, will deliver opening remarks. The summit, split into two sessions, will tackle macroeconomic outlooks, competitiveness and structural reforms in the first part, co-chaired by Şimşek and Dombrovskis.
The second will bring together business leaders from both sides to explore trade and investment prospects.
Top executives from the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Council of Europe Development Bank will join, adding financial heft to the discussions. Şimşek will also hold bilateral talks with Dombrovskis and Kos to chart future collaboration.
Şimşek hailed the revival as a “valuable step” for Türkiye-EU relations.
“Having co-chaired the first meeting in 2016, I’m pleased to see this platform back in action,” he said.
He underscored the EU’s strategic importance, noting that it absorbs 42 percent of Türkiye’s exports, making Türkiye the bloc’s fifth-largest trade partner.
Amid rising global protectionism, e-commerce, digitalization and green transition trends, Şimşek called for an updated trade framework.
“Modernizing the Customs Union to include public procurement, services, and agriculture, easing visas for businesspeople and students and launching joint projects in third countries offer significant opportunities,” he said.
“From defense to energy, agriculture to manufacturing, we’re ready for stronger, multidimensional cooperation with the EU.”
