UPDATE 2 - Turkiye, UAE sign 13 agreements in various areas

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM ERDOGAN

By Mumin Altas, Selma Kasap, Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday signed 13 agreements in various fields during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Gulf country.

Agreements on the defense industry, health, climate change, industry, technology, trade, economy, culture, agriculture, trade, economy, youth, transportation, disaster management, meteorology, communication, and archive were signed during the meeting between the Turkish and UAE delegation chaired jointly by Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

According to the Turkish Presidency, Erdogan said: "The complementary structure of the economies of the two countries actually points to a potential far beyond the current figures."

"The purpose of our visit is to quickly realize this potential," he added.

A cooperation protocol on media was also signed by Turkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and UAE Government Media Office head Saeed al Eter.

The protocol aims to increase friendly relations between the two countries and to develop relations in the fields of media and communication.

According to the protocol, the two countries will encourage mutual visits of representatives from the media and communication world every year in order to get to know each other's current economic, political, cultural and social lives more closely and to exchange views on communication activities.

There will also be mutual internship and training opportunities to young journalists, media members and technical staff of the two countries.

“Today, we signed a cooperation protocol in the ‘Media and Communication Fields’ between the Republic of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

“With this important protocol, the two countries will join forces in the field of media and communication,” said Altun on Twitter.

Erdogan is in the UAE for a two-day visit at the invitation of Al Nahyan.

Erdogan, who last visited the UAE in 2013, told a news conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before leaving that Turkiye and the UAE started a new era in bilateral relations with the visit of the Abu Dhabi crown prince to Ankara last November.

On Sunday, Turkiye's Communications Directorate announced that bilateral relations between Turkiye and the UAE, and steps to deepen cooperation would be discussed during Erdogan's visit.

The two sides will also exchange views on regional and international developments with an understanding of establishing and maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Erdogan will also visit the Expo 2020 Dubai on Tuesday, where Turkiye's national day will be celebrated.

Ties between Turkiye and the Arab world are experiencing a major thaw after years of tense relations.

The Abu Dhabi crown prince's visit led to the announcement of a $10-billion fund for investments in Turkiye. Both countries also signed several agreements on energy, environment, finance, and trade.