The results of the 5th Supreme Cooperation Council held last December in Athens as well as the progress recorded since then in the bilateral meetings on the Political Dialogue, the “positive” agenda and the Confidence Building Measures that have been mediated under the guidance of the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs , the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had the opportunity to assess during their meeting today in Ankara, as stated in the Joint Declaration, issued after the summit meeting.

In the same statement it is noted that the two leaders welcomed the progress achieved under the “positive” agenda, but the measures of mutual interest, which have been taken in various areas. In fact, they underlined the importance of upgrading bilateral economic cooperation as a central aspect of Greek-Turkish relations, while as reported the two leaders had the opportunity to review regional and international issues and reaffirmed that the positive climate in the relations of the two countries contributes in a significant way in strengthening stability in the wider region. Finally, the joint statement states that Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Erdogan authorized the two Foreign Ministers to prepare the ground for the next Greek-Turkish meetings within the agreed framework.

The following is the entire Joint Declaration in English following the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

JOINT STATEMENT

The President of the Republic of Turkey, HE Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, HE Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, met on May 13th, in Ankara, in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation.

The two leaders reviewed the results of the 5th High-Level Cooperation Council, which was held in Athens on December 7th, 2023, and took stock of the progress in the meetings which had since taken place, based on the pillars of the Political Dialogue, the Positive Agenda and the Confidence Building Measures, under the guidance of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The two leaders welcomed the progress achieved to date within the scope of the Positive Agenda Joint Action Plan involving measures of common interest in various fields. They underlined the importance of the Joint Action Plan in building economic cooperation as a mainstay of the bilateral relationship.

In this context the two sides also welcomed the establishment of the Turkish-Greek Business Council, which will promote business cooperation based on specific and well-targeted sectors, and reaffirmed their commitment to double the trade volume between the two countries.

Acknowledging the common challenges of climate change and the seismic vulnerability of the region and recalling the tragic earthquakes of February 2023 in Türkiye, the two sides noted with satisfaction the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation on Disaster and Emergency Management.

The two sides further welcomed the signing of an agreement on Cooperation in the Fields of Health and Medical Sciences.

The leaders also reviewed regional and international issues, and confirmed their shared view that the current climate in the bilateral relations makes an important contribution to the strengthening of stability in the region.

The two leaders tasked their Foreign Ministers to coordinate work towards the next meetings in the context of the agreed roadmap.

Both sides pledged their commitment to consolidate the current positive climate in line with the 2023 Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness, explore further areas of cooperation, continue with regular exchanges and maintain effective communication channels at multiple levels, for the benefit of both nations in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust.