Türkiye, N Macedonia vow to double trade, enhance ties

ANKARA

Türkiye and North Macedonia have agreed to establish a high-level cooperation council for further enhancing ties and doubling the trade, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said as he hosted the latter’s prime minister, Hristijan Mickoski.

The two leaders met in Istanbul and signed a joint declaration that announced the establishment of a high-level council through which Türkiye and North Macedonia will improve their ties in all fields, including economy, trade, defense industry, energy, sports, culture and education.

“We have agreed to further strengthen our ties and signed the declaration for the establishment of our council. I hope I will soon pay a visit to Skopje for the realization of our first council meeting,” Erdoğan told reporters after the meeting.

Türkiye’s investments in North Macedonia have exceeded $2 billion and the bilateral trade volume is $1 billion, Erdoğan recalled, stressing the two countries’ joint objective of doubling it in the next years.

“I believe upgrading our existing free trade agreement will contribute to our efforts to this end,” he stated.

Erdoğan informed they evaluated joint defense industry projects and discussed military ties as the countries are allies in NATO.

On regional issues, Erdoğan and Mickoski exchanged views on the efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“I have emphasized our determination to lend support to the peace talks in Ukraine,” the president stated. The two leaders also shared views that the Palestine problem should be resolved through the two-state formula, Erdoğan said.

For his part, Mickoski described Türkiye as North Macedonia’s strategic partner and the most important country in the region. The North Macedonian leader has underscored the importance of the joint declaration he signed with Erdoğan for further deepening the bilateral ties.

“With President Erdoğan, we discussed security issues as we are NATO allies and the security is the most important issues for us,” Mickoski stressed.

On the economy, Mickoski praised the investments of Turkish companies into his country and stressed that this trend could further develop through the establishment of the cooperation council.

“Mr. President Erdoğan can of course come to Skopje whenever he wants. It is sure he will be welcomed very dearly by us,” he added.