Turkey's Trade Ministry is planning a visit to Mexico with a large business delegation this fall, Deputy Trade Minister Gonca Yılmaz Batur said.
The two countries agreed last week on the resumption of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.
Batur's remarks came after a Turkey-Mexico Trade and Investment Seminar was held in Mexico on Aug. 23. The program was hosted by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK) and Turkey-Mexico Business Council.
Speaking at the seminar, Batur said a bilateral meeting with the Mexican Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luz Maria de la Mora was "very fruitful."
Batur expressed her expectation that the commercial and economic relations between the two countries will reach "a level that matches the real potential" with joint work.
"The volume of trade between our countries exceeded $1.2 billion in 2018," Batur said and added: "The first half of 2019 also showed a similar trend in our bilateral trade. Exports to Mexico reached $287.4 million, while imports from Mexico reached $276.1 million."
She said the two economies have common characteristics and the trade figures indicate the potential for Turkey and Mexico. "To raise these figures to the desired levels, we need to plan for more mutual visits, especially between our trade delegations and as a part of regular meetings of the Joint Economic Commission."
"And most importantly, we need to sign a Free Trade Agreement between our countries," she stressed. The Turkish government declared Mexico as one of its target countries in 2019, said Batur.
Mexico's Ambassador to Turkey Bernardo Cordova Tello said that with Turkish Airlines (THY) direct flights to the country, as well as excellent diplomatic and political relations, the distance between Turkey and Mexico is no longer an obstacle for strengthening bilateral economic ties.
"We are determined to develop our economic relations with Turkey," said Luis Fernando Godoy Rueda, acting deputy director at Mexico's Ministry of Economy.
The Turkey-Mexico Trade and Investment Seminar was held last Thursday, within the scope of the launch of direct flights to Mexico City and Cancun from Istanbul by Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines.
Flight to Mexico which takes 15 hours and 15 minutes is among THY's longest. The carrier's scheduled flight from Istanbul to Mexico City ended with a two-hour flight to Cancun, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the American continent, after a one-hour layover.
