The United Arab Emirates and Turkey announced on Monday the signing of several agreements during the first visit in ten years of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to this wealthy Gulf monarchy, concretizing the rapprochement between two former rivals.
At the end of this first two-day visit by the Turkish President to the United Arab Emirates, the two countries signed thirteen cooperation agreements which seal a shared vision, according to the Emirati Minister of Economy. These agreements relate to health and medical sciences, advanced industries and technologies, climate, culture and agriculture, but also to transport, crisis and disaster management, meteorology and finally the media.
A letter of intent on cooperation between defense industries was also signed. Relations between the two countries were tense, Abu Dhabi criticized Ankara for supporting political Islam and its opposition on various issues in the Middle East.
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit follows that in November of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and leader de facto of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed. He then announced the launch of a fund of nearly nine billion euros to support investments in Turkey, in the grip of a serious economic crisis.
The Emirati presidential adviser tweeted that it was a new positive page between the two countries, in line with the Emirates’ objective of strengthening the bridges of communication and cooperation for stability and prosperity in the region. Abu Dhabi hopes to double or even triple trade volumes with Turkey, seen as a route to new markets.
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