Türkiye, Sweden aim to lift trade volume above $5 billion
Trade Minister Ömer Bolat (L) shakes hands with Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell in Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 3, 2024. (DHA Photo)


Trade Minister Ömer Bolat conveyed on Tuesday the target of lifting bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Sweden above $5 billion in the near future as officials from the two countries gathered for talks in the Nordic country.

In a written statement on his account on social media platform X, the minister noted he met with Johan Forssell, Sweden’s minister for international development cooperation and foreign trade, on the occasion of the second session of the Türkiye-Sweden Economic and Trade Joint Committee (JETCO).

"At the meeting, we built a strong foundation for new collaborations, especially in renewable energy, health tourism, green economy, technology, defense, SMEs and startups, to ensure the development of our bilateral economic relations," Bolat said.

He added that the road map covered was formalized with the JETCO protocol they had signed.

"We aim to increase our bilateral trade volume to over $5 billion in a short time by working hand in hand with our private sector organizations, business world, industrialists and companies," he added.

"In addition to advancing our bilateral cooperation with Sweden, we will continue to work together to modernize the customs union."

Separately, he also noted they held a round table meeting with representatives from the Turkish and Swedish business world in Stockholm together with Forssell, on the sidelines of the JETCO meeting.

"At a time when global trade is being reshaped around digitalization and green transformation, Türkiye is closely following economic and commercial developments in Europe and the world, guiding new developments and strengthening its position as a safe location for international investments with its innovative policies and effective investment incentive instruments," said Bolat.

Expressing satisfaction that Swedish businesspeople have recognized Türkiye as "a reliable trade partner" in the face of global trade and supply chain challenges, he said, "We believe that the meetings we held today will lead to the emergence of new areas of cooperation in the coming period and further deepen our relations with Sweden."