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Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have agreed on 21 tangible cooperation initiatives covering a wide range of sectors during the second meeting of the Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council held in Riyadh on Sunday, according to Turkish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Emrullah Isler.
The newly agreed initiatives span political and diplomatic affairs, the defense industry and security, trade and investment, education and healthcare, as well as culture, media, and tourism, Ambassador Isler told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
"Türkiye is very relieved with the recent noticeable momentum in close cooperation and friendly relations with Saudi Arabia," Isler stated, adding that preparations are already underway to hold the third Saudi-Turkish Coordination Council meeting in Türkiye next year.
The council highlighted the record trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, which reached $7.9 billion in 2025, with both countries setting a goal to increase this figure to $10 billion in the near future.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who co-chaired the meeting alongside Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, expressed satisfaction with the momentum gained in bilateral relations.
"We are pleased with the momentum gained in the sincere and close cooperation between our countries, two important actors in our region and the Islamic world, based on the vision set forth by our leaders," Fidan said, according to information obtained from the Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
During the meeting, an important memorandum of understanding was signed between the Turkish Foreign Ministry's Diplomacy Academy and Saudi Arabia's Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies, enhancing collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the two diplomatic bodies.
Fidan emphasized that Türkiye-Saudi Arabia relations, forged through historical and human ties, have proven their strength and resilience through challenges and difficulties.
Ambassador Isler emphasized that Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are not only working on the bilateral level but are also closely cooperating to preserve regional peace and stability and tackle global affairs.
The Turkish Foreign Minister noted that Türkiye places importance on strengthening cooperation and coordination with Saudi Arabia on all issues concerning the stability and peace of the region.
Looking to the future, Fidan stated, "In line with our common goals, we desire to reach $10 billion this year and $30 billion in the medium and long term.
Considering the complementary nature of our economies, I believe we can easily achieve this goal."
The Turkish ambassador expressed confidence that the practical steps, joint projects, and partnerships that will be established in the future will "take Turkish-Saudi ties to broader horizons."
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