Istanbul brings together Salam and Erdogan… Economic cooperation and support for Lebanese stability

At a delicate regional juncture that calls for the highest levels of consultation and coordination among friendly countries, Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam accepted an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to a working dinner in Istanbul, as part of his official visit to the Republic of Turkey. The meeting served as an occasion to reaffirm the importance of dialogue, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and work toward elevating Lebanese-Turkish relations to the level of a strategic partnership in a way that serves the interests of both countries and contributes to supporting security and stability in the region.

The meeting, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, addressed ways to develop bilateral relations between Lebanon and Turkey across various fields, particularly the economy, trade, investment, energy, and infrastructure.

Prime Minister Salam praised the support Turkey provides to Lebanon, especially in terms of humanitarian assistance.

The two sides also agreed to revive the path of the free trade agreement between Lebanon and Turkey and to complete the necessary technical consultations in a manner that takes into account the shared interests of both countries and enhances the volume of trade exchange.

Prime Minister Salam stressed that Lebanon is committed to the independence of its decision-making and to extending full state sovereignty over its entire territory, and that it will continue to work, in cooperation with friendly and brotherly countries, to stop Israel’s attacks and secure its full withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

For his part, President Erdogan renewed Turkey’s support for Lebanon and for its efforts to secure Israel’s withdrawal from all of its territory, as well as for preserving the independence of its decision-making and safeguarding its security, territorial unity, and stability. He also underscored Turkey’s interest in strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields.

At the conclusion of the meeting, commemorative gifts were exchanged, and both sides agreed to maintain communication and activate mechanisms for bilateral cooperation through successive reciprocal visits by the ministers concerned.