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- Joint Declaration Adopted At The Conclusion Of The Meetings Between The Ministers Of Foreign Affairs Of The Republic Of Turkey And The Arab Republic Of Egypt
Joint Declaration Adopted At The Conclusion Of The Meetings Between The Ministers Of Foreign Affairs Of The Republic Of Turkey And The Arab Republic Of Egypt
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit visited Ankara upon the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Mr. Ali Babacan on September 13th, 2008.
The talks held on the occasion of the said visit constituted the first ever meeting in the context of the Turkish-Egyptian Strategic Dialogue initiated in Istanbul on November 3rd, 2007.
The Parties have reaffirmed their will and determination to further enhance in every field the relations of friendship and brotherhood between Turkey and Egypt which derives its strength from their shared history.
In this regard, the Parties have;
- reiterated that they attach particular importance to continuing consultations and cooperation on bilateral, regional as well as international issues that closely concern the two countries,
- emphasized that they will display every effort to further boost economic and commercial relations that have gained momentum recently, and to resolve any outstanding problems in this field.
During the talks conducted on the occasion of the visit, developments in the Middle East have also been discussed. In this context, the parties have reiterated their support to the current Palestinian – Israeli political talks which started in Annapolis aiming at achieving the vision of two states living side by side in peace. The Turkish side expressed its appreciation for Egypt's efforts to resume Palestinian National Dialogue as well as its efforts to achieve a period of calm in Gaza.
The Egyptian side has expressed its appreciation for Turkey's efforts regarding the ongoing Israeli–Syrian peace talks held under the Turkish auspicies. Both parties expressed their hope that the talks will bring peace between Israel and Syria .
Turkey and Egypt have once again reiterated the importance of the preservation of the political unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and the indispensable significance of national reconciliation for the resolution of all problems in Iraq.
The Parties have also exchanged views on security and cooperation in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear programme, recent developments in the Caucasus as well as the Balkans and the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean which is co-chaired by Egypt.
The Ministers have noted with satisfaction that the trade volume between the two countries has exceeded 1.5 billion USD by the end of 2007 and expressed their conviction that the development of all transportation links, especially maritime links, between the two countries will further increase commercial-economic relations.
The parties have declared their shared opinion that the enhancement of relations in the cultural field will further contribute to the mutual understanding and affinity between the Turkish and the Egyptian people and that they will continue to work towards this end.