Trade Minister Ömer Bolat held talks with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and leading business representatives in Rome, focusing on expanding bilateral trade and deepening production ties between the two countries.

Bolat said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal on Friday that the round-table meeting focused on integrated supply chains across key sectors, including automotive, aerospace, defense, energy, logistics, manufacturing, textiles, and machinery.

He emphasized that Türkiye and Italy are not merely commercial partners but key components of a joint manufacturing ecosystem, particularly in the automotive industry.

Highlighting Türkiye’s role within the EU Customs Union, Bolat noted that preserving strong production networks is vital for the competitiveness of both Türkiye and Europe.

Participants explored opportunities for joint ventures in third countries and deeper cooperation in future-focused fields such as green energy, digitalization, space, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare.

Italian foreign direct investment in Türkiye has reached $4 billion across 1,645 companies, while Turkish investments in Italy surpassed $1 billion.

The minister added that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the two historic strategic partners will continue to advance their complementary economic partnership.