UPDATE- Italian premier praises excellent relations with Türkiye, pledges to improve them further

​​​​​​​ADDS REMARKS FROM MELONI, CHANGES DECK

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Italy’s premier on Tuesday praised the excellent relations with Türkiye and pledged to improve them further.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Rome with visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a Turkish-Italian intergovernmental meeting, Giorgia Meloni underlined the historical and extensive ties between the two countries in multiple domains.

"Today we confirm the solidity of our relations and lay the foundations to further strengthen our partnership," she said.

Saying the countries’ bilateral trade volume has reached $32 billion, shooting past their $30 billion goal, Meloni announced the new target as $40 billion in trade in the mid-term.

“It requires a lot of work, but we can both count on the dynamism of our companies, institutions,” she added.

Meloni underlined that the partnership goes beyond extensive economic ties.

“We are close allies in NATO's European-Mediterranean chapter,” she added.

Announcing that global challenges were also discussed at the meeting with Erdogan, Meloni thanked the Turkish president for his mediation efforts since the war in Ukraine started, particularly in addressing the war's effect on food security.