Türkiye has been granted Dialogue Partner status with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), following a decision by the bloc's foreign ministers at a meeting in Manila, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated.
Sharing a post on X, he said the development is extremely important for strengthening Türkiye’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region, Caliber.Az reports.
“This development is of utmost importance in terms of enhancing our impact in the Asia-Pacific, which is the eastern axis of our global diplomacy, advancing our long-term strategy toward the ASEAN region, and finalizing our existing projects,” Fidan added.
According to Fidan, the new status will bolster Ankara's position in the Asia-Pacific and expand political and economic cooperation with ASEAN, whose 10 member states have a combined population of around 700 million and an economy worth more than $4 trillion.
Fidan noted that Türkiye's trade turnover with ASEAN member states has grown from $6.5 billion in 2010 to $16 billion.
ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Russia has been a full Dialogue Partner of ASEAN since 1996.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
