UPDATE - Turkish foreign minister stresses strategic cooperation with Uzbekistan

UPDATE WITH ADDING OF RECENT INFO

By Tugba Altun and Yasin Gungor

ANKARA / ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized the importance of strengthening and institutionalizing strategic cooperation between Türkiye and Uzbekistan during a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov in Tashkent on Thursday.

Fidan highlighted the significance of bolstering ties, not only for both countries but also for the wider Turkic world. "There is a great will from our leaders to institutionalize the cooperation and take it further," Fidan said, calling for enhanced collaboration to address modern challenges.

The talks followed the third meeting of the Türkiye-Uzbekistan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held in Ankara in June, which Fidan described as a "historic turning point." He said the meeting resulted in important decisions aimed at advancing bilateral relations.

- Türkiye, Uzbekistan sign ‘Road Map’ for cooperation

Fidan, along with Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and National Intelligence Organization Chief Ibrahim Kalin, met with their counterparts in the Uzbek capital.

During the trilateral meeting, an agreement, the Road Map, was signed, marking a significant step toward the institutionalization of cooperation between the two countries, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"Our work and cooperation with our sister country Uzbekistan will continue to grow," Yerlikaya said, expressing Türkiye's commitment to strengthening ties.