Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico have signed a joint declaration to elevate bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership.
The announcement came after a high-level meeting held on Monday in Ankara, where both leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation across various fields.
“We discussed ways of further deepening our bilateral ties,” President Erdogan said in a joint press conference following the meeting. He highlighted the shared ambition of fostering closer political, economic, and cultural ties between the two nations.
Erdogan noted that the two countries are on track to achieve their shared target of $5 billion in bilateral trade volume by the end of the year.
Slovakia's energy security
Addressing energy cooperation, Erdogan highlighted Türkiye’s role in supporting Slovakia's energy security.
“I said, 'Let's bring Slovakia's natural gas needs to a conclusion by discussing it with Mr Putin, and my Foreign Minister also talk to Mr Lavrov to conclude,'” he stated.
Prime Minister Fico highlighted the critical importance of energy stability, voicing concerns over policies affecting gas transit in Europe.
Fico stressed the need for diversifying Slovakia’s energy resources while maintaining steady gas supplies.
“We are committed to ensuring that Slovakia continues to receive Russian gas, as this is crucial for our energy security and diversification efforts. Türkiye, through projects like the TurkStream pipeline, provides vital opportunities to achieve this goal.
We deeply appreciate your efforts in opening these new avenues, and we reject any attempts to undermine such initiatives,” he added.
Support for full EU membership
Prime Minister Fico praised Türkiye’s role as a vital partner in Europe and reaffirmed his country’s strong support for Türkiye’s aspirations for full EU membership.
“We hope Türkiye’s full EU membership aspirations are realised as soon as possible,” Fico said, underscoring Slovakia's unwavering backing in this regard.
Türkiye was one of the first nations to recognise Slovakia’s independence after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
Direct Slovak investments in Türkiye reached $32 million between 2002 and mid-2024, while Turkish investments in Slovakia totaled $12 million in the same period.
In February 2024, the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was established to further enhance economic collaboration.
Gaza ceasefire, Syria
All stages of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas should be fully implemented and uninterrupted humanitarian aid must be delivered to the enclave, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also added in the press conference.
Regarding the three-phase truce, first phase of which took effect a day earlier, Erdogan said the international community must ensure that Israel fulfills its responsibilities.
Hamas released three Israeli hostages, while Israel set free 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday.
Türkiye is committed to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, Erdogan added.
He said he also stressed the importance of lifting international restrictions on Syria to start the reconstruction work.
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