Ukraine and Turkey have an excellent budding potential for reinforcing bilateral trade and defence tie-ups, said by Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister on Monday.
In an interview, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Emine Dzhaparova said the COVID-19 pandemic could be a good option for both countries to rejuvenate relations, especially in the sector of defence and trade.
Science, technology and defence industries are major industries for the judicious alliance to prosper, she said, referring to Ukraine’s growing indulgent in the exhibition of Turkey’s homegrown aircraft engines and UAV.
Emine added she was positive about the arbitrations on a free trade pact in the company of Turkey. She said the agreement should provide all-inclusive exclusion of customs duty on agricultural and defence transportations.
It carries vital significance for the two states as it could help uplift the bilateral trade proportions of around $10 billion (TL 68.5 billion).
The two countries’ bilateral trade proportions nestle at $4 billion in 2018, according to the TurkStat, from $8 B in 2008.
“Ukraine is engrossed in opening up its market without any reduction for all artefacts and ready to complete the parleying procedure,” Emine says.
In July, Ukraine’s National Defense Minister Andriy Taran vocalized their engrossment in Turkish-made drones, at a meeting with his Turkish equivalent Hulusi Akar in Kyiv.
The Eastern European country bought the Bayraktar Tactical Block 2 (TB2) UAVs from Turkey previous year, as a segment of a pact signed between the two countries permitting for the purchase of 12 UAVs.
The pact was signed between the Ukrspetsproject Company, which is part of Ukraine’s Ukrboronprom, and Turkey’s Baykar Makina, the country’s leading drone developer.
Along with the UAVs, Turkey will also provide three ground control station systems and various equipment.