Riyadh: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan affirmed the strength of his country's relations with Saudi Arabia. In a speech today during the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council meeting held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Fidan said: "The trials and difficulties have proven the strength and durability of the relations forged by historical and human ties between Turkey and Saudi Arabia."

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Fidan expressed pleasure with the momentum of cooperation between the two nations, which he described as key players in the region and the Islamic world. He attributed this progress to the vision set by the leaders of both countries. Emphasizing the importance of regional stability and peace, Fidan highlighted the significance of increasing cooperation and coordination with Saudi Arabia and noted the bilateral trade's growth to $8 billion last year.

Fidan further outlined ambitious trade goals, aiming to raise the trade volume to $10 billion this year and to $30 billion in the medium and long term. He expressed confidence that these targets are achievable due to the complementary nature of the two economies. He also mentioned the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council's role in advancing cooperation across various sectors.

During the meeting, both sides signed a memorandum of understanding between the Diplomatic Academy of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Earlier, Fidan and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, co-chaired the second meeting of the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council in Riyadh.

The Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council, established in 2016, serves as a cooperation and consultation mechanism chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries. It aims to monitor bilateral relations within an institutional framework covering all aspects of cooperation.