Turkish top diplomat to visit Italy for ties, regional developments

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay a two-day working visit to Rome to highlight bilateral ties as well as to discuss regional developments in the Middle East, Mediterranean and Europe.

In Rome, Fidan will meet Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources have said. He will also deliver a speech at Istituto Affari Internazionali, a think tank specializing in international issues.

The sources said Fidan will underline the importance of bilateral ties between the two NATO allies and continued high-level exchanges.

He will also underline the need for further diversifying bilateral trade to achieve $40 billion volume and the importance of the modernization of the Türkiye-EU customs union.

The two ministers will also raise the energy security in the Mediterranean and cooperation in the field of connectivity with Fidan to reiterate that all regional actors should act in line with international law. They will also discuss ways to prevent irregular migration in the Mediterranean.

Fidan will stress the importance of continued partnership with Italy in the defense industry and running joint works in science, technology and innovation, especially after Turkish defense industry company, Baykar’s acquisition of Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace and cooperation with Leonardo on drones.

Türkiye's and Italy's top diplomats will review key issues concerning the Türkiye-EU relationship and NATO cooperation.

Maintaining peace and stability in Libya, increasing pressure on Israel to end the genocide in Gaza and the need for combined international efforts to this end will be raised by Fidan during the talks.

The ministers will also review the developments in Syria, Ukraine, Iran and Africa, the sources stressed.

Türkiye and Italy elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2007, boosting bilateral trade to $32.4 billion by 2024.