31 May 2018
ASEAN, Turkey launch sectoral dialogue partnership for stronger cooperation
Source: ASEAN Secretariat News
JAKARTA, 31 May 2018 — ASEAN and Turkey convened the Inaugural ASEAN-Turkey Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee (AT-JSCC) Meeting on 30 May at the ASEAN Secretariat to mark the launch of their formal partnership.
The establishment of this formal partnership paves the way for a stronger ASEAN-Turkey cooperation, including implementation of mutually beneficial projects and programmes. Turkey was conferred the status of Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at their 50th Meeting in August 2017 in Manila, the Philippines.
The AT-JSCC is the cooperation mechanism to oversee and provide direction to the sectoral dialogue partnership. The meeting adopted the Terms of Reference of the AT-JSCC and discussed several initiatives to move forward ASEAN-Turkey cooperation. Both sides also agreed to develop a list of cooperation areas, which will serve as a practical guide to further substantiate the partnership with a focus on areas of mutual interest, aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
The Meeting also exchanged views on developing cooperation areas included counter-terrorism and violent extremism; micro, small and medium enterprises; tourism; agriculture; education; disaster management; youth exchanges; people-to-people contact and the narrowing development gap in ASEAN.
The AT-JSCC was co-chaired by Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Political-Security Community Department, Hoang Anh Tuan and Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to ASEAN Mehmet Kadri Şander Gürbüz, and was attended by members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and other Turkish delegates. Turkish Deputy Undersecretary of Ministry of Economy Hüsnü Dilemre and Director General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Namık Güner Erpul also participated in the meeting.
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