International News

ANKARA, Aug 7 (APP/IINA): Turkey has become a Sectoral Dialogue
Partner for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the country’s foreign minister said on Sunday.
“Turkey has officially become the sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN,”
Mevlut Cavusoglu told Anadolu Agency in the Philippine capital Manila, where he attended the organization’s 50th Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
Cavusoglu said Turkey first applied in 2015 and since then had been
working intensively. “This is, of course, an initiative that fits Turkey’s multi-faced, proactive foreign policy.”
ASEAN a regional bloc of 10 countries comprising Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam was founded on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Turkey formed ties with ASEAN in 1999 and attended its first summit in
2013. Cavusoglu said the relations with ASEAN members will further develop and Turkish businesspeople will benefit key opportunities in the future.
“In the upcoming period, the bilateral trade volume with ASEAN
countries will increase faster. Also, important opportunities for our businessmen will emerge.”
Later, in a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision,
saying the move would set a milestone “in terms of our relations with the
organization.”
“Turkey sees ASEAN as an effective integration mechanism in its region,” read the statement, praising the role the organization played
in maintaining political stability, economic prosperity and social stability in the Southeast Asia region.
The ministry said further development of the cooperation between
Turkey and the organization would bring the two sides of Asia closer.
“As the new Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, Turkey’s efforts to
improve bilateral relations with ASEAN countries and strengthen its corporate bonds with the organization will continue,” the statement added.