Joint Statement after the meeting between the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Ankara

The President of the Republic of Türkiye, H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, met on May 13th, in Ankara, in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation.

The two leaders reviewed the results of the 5th High-Level Cooperation Council, which was held in Athens on December 7th, 2023, and took stock of the progress in the meetings which had since taken place, based on the pillars of the Political Dialogue, the Positive Agenda and the Confidence Building Measures, under the guidance of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The two leaders welcomed the progress achieved to date within the scope of the Positive Agenda Joint Action Plan involving measures of common interest in various fields. They underscored the importance of the Joint Action Plan in building economic cooperation as a mainstay of the bilateral relationship.

In this context the two sides also welcomed the establishment of the Turkish-Greek Business Council, which will promote business cooperation based on specific and well-targeted sectors, and reaffirmed their commitment to double the trade volume between the two countries.

Acknowledging the common challenges of climate change and the seismic vulnerability of the region and recalling the tragic earthquakes of February 2023 in Türkiye, the two sides noted with satisfaction the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation on Disaster and Emergency Management.

The two sides further welcomed the signing of an agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Health and Medical Sciences.

The leaders also reviewed regional and international issues, and confirmed their shared view that the current climate in the bilateral relations makes an important contribution to the strengthening of stability in the region.

The two leaders tasked their Foreign Ministers to coordinate work towards the next meetings in the context of the agreed roadmap.

Both sides pledged their commitment to consolidate the current positive climate in line with the 2023 Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, explore further areas of cooperation, continue with regular exchanges and maintain effective communication channels at multiple levels, for the benefit of both nations in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust.