Türkiye, EU to hold first high-level economic dialogue in six years

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marat Kos has said that Türkiye and the EU are set to hold their first high-level economic dialogue meeting in six years.

Kos made these remarks at the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in Brussels, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

She reminded that last year, the EU decided to intensify its dialogue with Ankara.

"We are planning to hold a high-level economic meeting with Türkiye in March or April 2025," the European Commissioner announced. 

Kos also emphasised that the EU highly values Türkiye's efforts in rendering assistance to Syrian refugees.

The previous meeting was held in Istanbul on February 28, 2019. At that time, the sides discussed a wide range of economic cooperation issues, including trade, investments, energy, and transport.

In accordance with the November 2023 Joint Communication on the EU-Türkiye relations and the conclusions of the European Council, the new High-Level Dialogue on Trade seeks to address remaining bilateral trade issues and explore further areas of cooperation, particularly measures to prevent the circumvention of EU sanctions. A business roundtable was held to gather feedback from stakeholders on trade and Customs Union matters.

Following Türkiye's removal of 11 trade barriers (out of 26) since early 2021 and ongoing work within the dedicated bilateral trade working group, both parties  discussed strategies to eliminate additional priority barriers. The cooperation discussions covered topics such as the green transition, digital trade, and trade defence mechanisms.

The EU and Türkiye also addressed collaboration to prevent the re-export of 'Common High Priority' goods to Russia in response to the current geopolitical situation.

The meeting of the High-Level Dialogue on Trade represented a significant step towards resolving existing challenges in the implementation of the Customs Union, ensuring its proper application across all Member States, and laying the groundwork for its modernisation.

By Naila Huseynova