Turkey, El Salvador to reciprocally open embassies

El Salvador will open an embassy in Ankara while Turkey is also considering making a mutual move in the capital of the Central American country. During a conference that took place in the Foreign Ministry Residence with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his El Salvadorian counterpart Alexandra Hill, the main headlines were the strengthening of relations of both countries and the establishment of the diplomatic missions to boost cooperation.

The visit marked the first one at a foreign ministry level and Hill announced El Salvador's wish to open an embassy to further relations in several aspects. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador previously stated his wish in this regard with an official letter.

"In the face of this step, we cannot remain indifferent. Thus, as Turkey we will also start our works regarding the opening of a Turkish Embassy in El Salvador," said Çavuşoğlu while adding that relations with Latin American, Middle American and Caribbean countries will likely be further enhanced.

Underlining that the economy is a significant element for every country, Çavuşoğlu said that the two countries intend to augment trade and sign the necessary agreements in this regard as soon as possible, and that the current trade volume of $30 million does not reflect the two countries' potential. In the conference, which focused on the areas where relations could be enhanced and by what means, Çavuşoğlu said, "I will be returning the favor by visiting El Salvador in a short time. While we will be in contact with regional organizations as the Community of Latin American a

nd Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), El Salvador will remain our most significant partner [in the region]."

Stating that Turkey already has 17 diplomatic missions in Latin America and the Caribbean, he added that more are projected to be established. Until the 1990s, Turkey's relations with the region had been friendly but stagnant, mainly due to geographical distance and differences in foreign policy priorities. Over the last 20 years, in line with its multidimensional foreign policy, Turkey has been pursuing a more active opening policy toward the region to strengthen relations with Latin American countries. It was also noted that Hill would meet the head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and would pay a visit to the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK) on Tuesday.

"We are in a period of revolution; at the end of this revolution we aim to have strong relations with several different countries. Within this historical structuring, one of my first official visits as foreign minister has been to Turkey," Hill stated, expressing her pleasure with enhancing bilateral cooperation.