Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, as the two diplomats chaired the Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council’s second meeting in Riyadh on Sunday.
Fidan heaped praise on relations between their countries during a speech at the meeting. “Turkish-Saudi relations cemented by our historic and humanitarian bonds proved their strength in facing challenges. We are pleased with the momentum of sincere and close cooperation between our countries, which are two important actors of our region and the Islamic world, under the vision of our leaders. We attach importance to reinforcing our cooperation with Saudi Arabia in all matters relevant to the stability and peace of our region,” Fidan said.
The minister noted that their bilateral trade volume reached $8 billion in 2024, and their common goal was to increase it to $10 billion this year and to $30 billion in the medium and long term. “I believe it is a target we can easily accomplish, given the complementary nature of our economies. I also believe that the Coordination Council, which makes up the institutional framework of our bilateral relations, will contribute to advancing our cooperation in all fields,” he added.
At the meeting, the sides signed a memorandum of understanding between Türkiye’s Diplomacy Academy and the Saudi Foreign Ministry’s Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies.
This is Fidan’s third visit to Saudi Arabia in the past year. His most recent trip was a working visit on Jan. 28-29. Meanwhile, Prince Faisal traveled to Türkiye on April 11-12 to attend the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)-Arab League Gaza Contact Group meeting in Antalya.
The Turkish-Saudi Coordination Council, established in 2016 under the leadership of the two countries’ foreign ministers, serves as a framework to institutionalize and advance bilateral relations. The first meeting was held in Ankara in February 2017. The body includes five subcommittees covering diplomacy, security, culture, social development and economic cooperation.
Both countries cooperate closely on regional matters, including through the Gaza Contact Group.