Türkiye's top trade official is due in Japan for two-day talks with government officials and private sector representatives, seeking to strengthen economic cooperation, a report said on Tuesday.
The visit on Wednesday and Thursday by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat aims to carry the deep-rooted friendship between Türkiye and Japan to a higher level in the economic and commercial fields, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Within the scope of the trip, which coincides with the 101st anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Bolat will attend the official opening ceremony of the Turkish pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka and introduce Türkiye's cultural and technological vision to the international community.
Türkiye is participating in the expo with the theme, "Golden Age of Civilizations," while the 900 square meter national pavilion brings together Anatolia's cultural heritage and the country's vision for the future.
On Thursday, Bolat will hold separate bilateral meetings with the Japanese ministers of trade, transport and infrastructure, and agriculture in Tokyo, the report said.
He will also attend the Türkiye-Japan CEO roundtable meeting, which will bring together the leading names of the Turkish and Japanese business world, and meet the president of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
Japan is Türkiye's fourth-largest trading partner in Asia. The trade volume between the two countries reached $5.4 billion in 2024.
Türkiye's exports amounted to $718 million and imports stood at $4.7 billion, which points to a structural imbalance between the parties.
Accelerating the negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), launched in 2014 to address this imbalance and build a more equitable economic structure, is a priority on the common agenda.
The total investment of more than 275 Japanese companies operating in Türkiye exceeds $3.1 billion, AA said.
Türkiye offers significant opportunities for Japanese capital with its strategic intercontinental location, young and dynamic labor force, advanced infrastructure and investor-friendly reforms.
