Possible directions for expanding bilateral partnership and strengthening cooperation in reconstruction, investment, and agriculture were discussed during a meeting between Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, Oleksiy Sobolev, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Ukraine, Mustafa Levent Bilgen.
“We are interested in having more Turkish businesses operating in Ukraine. Turkish companies are already participating in over 100 reconstruction projects, including in construction and infrastructure. Our goal is to attract even more investment, and we want to expand cooperation in key sectors such as the defense industry and housing construction for internally displaced persons,” said Oleksiy Sobolev.
The Minister emphasized that the Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Turkey is important for bilateral relations, as it creates new opportunities for trade, investment, and economic partnership between the countries. The draft law on ratification of the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Turkey is currently under consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The meeting participants also discussed strengthening cooperation through G2G agreements. Areas of future collaboration include the agricultural sector, demining, environmental protection, and investment.
Other topics addressed during the meeting included:
- priorities of the Ministry of Economy in investment policy;
- support for the agricultural sector;
- involvement of Turkish companies in reconstruction, using experience from post-earthquake housing recovery in Turkey in 2023;
- other issues related to the operations of individual Turkish companies in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to further develop comprehensive cooperation.
