Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministries' delegations during the exploratory talks held in Ankara, Turkey (Photo : Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egypt and Turkey agreed to continue engaging in exploratory talks between them, a joint statement issued by the Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministries said on Wednesday.
A second round of consultations was held between the two countries’ delegations — headed by Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sadat Onal and his Egyptian counterpart, Hamdy Loza — in Ankara on Tuesday and Wednesday September 7-8.
The Egyptian and Turkish delegations discussed bilateral issues as well as a number of regional concerns like the situation in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and the East Mediterranean, the joint statement said.
“The two sides agreed to continue the consultations, asserting their desire to achieve progress in the issues discussed in the talks as well as the need to take additional steps to facilitate the normalisationof relations between the two countries,” the statement said.
The exploratory talks come as Turkey attempts to end its differences — that have been impacting its economy — with regional powers over several crises in the region.
The first round of talks — held in early May in Cairo — was “frank and in-depth” as described by a joint statement by the Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministries at the time.
The two sides also addressed bilateral issues as well as a number of regional issues, particularly the situation in Syria and Iraq, and the need to achieve peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean region, the statement said.
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