Abu Dhabi: Tugay Tuncer, Turkish Ambassador to the UAE, said that the UAE and Turkey have an enduring strategic partnership that is still strengthening and contributing to the region's prosperity, peace, and stability.
Tuncer told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the UAE is an important strategic partner for Turkey, praising the extraordinary development made in relations between the two friendly nations in less than two years.
"The two nations' overall bilateral ties have been reinforced by two significant milestones: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the UAE," he noted.
"President Erdogan's visit to the UAE resulted in almost 27 cooperation agreements in various sectors, including investment, economy, defence, health, agriculture, transport, advanced technology, climate action, culture and youth," the diplomat elaborated.
Tuncer pointed out that the non-oil trade volume between the two countries reached some $19 billion in 2022, and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries will further boost their cooperation.
He noted that the economies of the two nations do not compete but rather complement one another and that the UAE and Turkey intend to boost their non-oil commercial exchange to $40 billion over the course of five years. "Several Turkish companies have established regional offices in the UAE, with Emirati investors operating large business and investment activities in Turkiye."
A strong Emirati-Turkish economic partnership can leverage the capabilities and resources of the two countries, and working together supports their goals and ambitions to achieve holistic development and long-term economic prosperity, he added.
Tuncer expresed support for the UAE's hosting of COP28 and emphasized that the UAE andTurkey share a common approach to addressing climate change.
He expressed confidence in UAE hosting a successful COP28 that will advance the global climate action agenda and strengthen international efforts to address climate change-related concerns.
Turkey has taken steps to address climate and environmental issues, such as launching the Zero Waste Project in 2017, which was inaugurated by the First Lady of Turkey and aims to reduce the environmental impact of waste, through sorting at source, recycling and reusing, he explained, noting that the goal is to reach a 60 percent recycling rate by 2030.
Turkey also launched the Zero Waste Blue project in June 2019 to protect and clean the seas and water resources from waste, and the United Nations endorsed this programme and declared 30th March as the International Day of Zero Waste, he said.
Tuncer commended the UAE's strategic goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, stressing that the two countries are working together to combat climate change.
He also stressed that they are committed to enhancing their cooperation with international organisations and intensifying their multilateral efforts, to help foster peace and stability in the region.
