Türkiye aims to strengthen its cooperation with North Macedonia, especially in the defense industry, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said on Tuesday.

Bolat met Besar Durmishi, North Macedonia's minister of economy and labor, in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

The ministers discussed economic and trade relations and the steps to take together in the upcoming period, Bolat said on X.

Noting that Türkiye is already North Macedonia's seventh-largest trading partner, he said Ankara attaches great importance to boosting the bilateral trade volume and strengthening cooperation, especially in the defense industry.

Bolat expressed hope that the meeting will contribute to the deepening of bilateral cooperation.