The third intergovernmental forum held in Ankara on Tuesday further strengthens growing business ties between Italy and Turkey, which saw their bilateral trade climb 23.6% last year, according to premier Mario Draghi.
"Today's summit also helps cement commercial ties between our two countries, ties which have impacted the history of the Mediterranean," Draghi told reporters in Ankara.
"Turkey is currently Italy's top trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa," Draghi said at a joint press conference with Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Tuesday's summit.
The value of bilateral trade reached 20 billion euros in 2021 - a 23.6% increase from the previous year," Draghi stated.
During the summit, Italy and Turkey inked accords covering "many sectors" - from small-to-medium-sized companies to sustainability - "which remains the government's long-term objective" - he said.
The Italian and Turkish governments signed five memorandums of understanding and further technical accords at the summit in areas spanning the defence industry, driving licence recognition and conversion, foreign policy consultations, scientific cooperation and data protection.
At the press conference, Erdogan called Draghi "a friend", offering condolences for the victims of Monday's glacier collapse in Marmolada, northern Italy, which killed at least seven people.
Erdogan also hailed Italy's longstanding support for Turkey's European Union entry bid and said Turkey is willing to deepen bilateral defence ties and is looking to Italy to help it fight terrorism.
