FM: Turkey gives great importance to relations with ASEAN countries

The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said yesterday that his country attaches great importance to its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking to ambassadors of the ASEAN member states in the capital Ankara, Cavusoglu said: “We pay special attention to our relations with ASEAN, within the framework of Asia Anew [initiative].”

“The Asia Anew initiative aims to communicate more strongly with the continent of Asia,” he said, adding that within this context, “last year we put action plans for 31 countries in 40 main fields of activity, and in two weeks time, accompanied by the Trade Minister, Ruhsar Pekcan, we will meet with the Asian Business Councils in the Foreign Economic Relations Council.”

Cavusoglu stressed that many countries are working to strengthen their relations with ASEAN, which has a market of about $3 trillion and is a pioneer institution in regional integration in Southeast Asia.

READ: Turkey FM welcomes end of Gulf crisis