Türkiye and Italy signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in labor and social policies, the Turkish Labor and Social Security Ministry said Thursday.
Turkish Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan and his Italian counterpart, Marina Elvira Calderone, signed the agreement following talks in Rome.
The ministers discussed cooperation in working life, employment, vocational training and social security.
Işıkhan expressed satisfaction with the positive course of relations between Türkiye and Italy, describing the country as a NATO ally and strategic partner.
He said close dialogue and reciprocal visits between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had contributed significantly to bilateral coordination and cooperation.
Işıkhan also highlighted the two countries’ goal of raising their bilateral trade volume to $40 billion, saying expanding partnerships in various sectors, particularly the defense industry, demonstrated their deepening economic ties.
Growing economic relations were creating new opportunities for skilled labor and workforce mobility, he said.
"We believe that sharing experience, particularly in vocational training, employment policies and the sustainability of social security systems, will make significant contributions to both countries,” he added.
Under the memorandum, the two countries will exchange knowledge, experience and best practices while regularly reviewing cooperation through a joint working group.
"We believe that this agreement, which we consider an important step toward contributing to Türkiye-Italy relations, and the joint working group to be established in the coming period will further strengthen our bilateral dialogue,” Işıkhan said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
He said the joint initiatives would institutionalize exchanges between the ministries and support efforts to protect and strengthen citizens’ rights.
