Ukraine could sign FTA with Turkey in February – MP

Ukraine's free trade agreement with Turkey could be signed in February during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Kyiv.

"During the visit, we have discussed economic issues, free trade area. We are now one step away from signing the free trade agreement. We hope that on February 3, when Mr. Erdogan will visit Ukraine, this agreement will be signed and give an even greater impetus to achieving the goal of $10 billion in trade turnover between Ukraine and Turkey," Roman Hryshchuk, co-chair of the Verkhovna Rada Group on Interparliamentary Relations with the Republic of Turkey, told Ukrinform, summing up the results of the first day of the Ukrainian delegation's visit.

During the meetings at the Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Ukrainian parliamentarians thanked for Turkey's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, the Crimea Platform, and participation in its inaugural summit.

Hryshchuk expressed hope that the current visit would provide an impetus for closer ties between the parliaments of Ukraine and Turkey. The official visit of the Speaker of Mustafa Şentop, Speaker of the Parliament of Turkey, to Ukraine is expected this year.

During the visit to Ankara, the Ukrainian delegation met with Speaker of the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) of Turkey Mustafa Şentop, Adviser to the President of Turkey Yalçın Topçu, co-Chair of Ukraine-Turkey Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Tuğrul Türkeş and the Group members, Head of the Turkish parliamentary delegation to PACE Ahmet Yildiz, Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Turkey Akif Kılıç, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Yavuz Selim Kiran.

As reported, President Zelensky stated the need to expand free trade agreements with the European Union, Canada, and Israel and expected to sign the FTA with Turkey in early 2022.

Photo credit: Olha Budnyk

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