Turkish, Italian foreign ministers discuss bilateral ties

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani held a phone call on August 8 to discuss bilateral relations, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

Fidan and Tajani also exchanged views on regional issues, including the now-collapsed Black Sea grain deal, the sources added. The deal was brokered by Ankara and the U.N. between Russia and Ukraine last year to allow the safe passage of Ukrainian grain shipments via its Black Sea ports during the ongoing conflict, Daily Sabah reports.

On July 23, Fidan attended the International Conference on Development and Migration in Rome, which aimed at finding sustainable solutions to combat irregular migration.

Türkiye and Italy face common challenges in migration. At the Rome event, the two nations, along with over 20 others, agreed to launch the “Rome Process,” a strategic, comprehensive, inclusive, multi-annual platform for collective action.

The process aims to address the root causes of forced displacement and prevent and tackle irregular migration and human trafficking across the broader Mediterranean region, the Middle East and Africa.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also discussed the matter at a NATO summit in Vilnius last month.

Türkiye and Italy are two regional powers that share common interests, common history and common values in the Mediterranean basin. In this respect, it would be appropriate to define Turkish-Italian bilateral relations as a strategic partnership, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Türkiye and Italy work together to find solutions to regional and global issues as well. From Afghanistan to Lebanon, the two countries cooperate to bring peace and stability to a vast geography.

Italy is currently Türkiye’s fourth biggest trade partner. Current fields of cooperation include energy, the defence industry, tourism, infrastructure, automotive and chemicals, but there is still a great potential to further develop economic and commercial relations.