By Emre Gurkan Abay

KIEV, Ukraine

Ankara has been in close cooperation with Ukraine in several areas, Turkey’s agriculture and forestry minister said on Tuesday.

"We are in close cooperation with Ukraine at all levels in areas of trade, investment, tourism and defense industry," Bekir Pakdemirli said at Ukrainian-Turkish Agriculture Business Forum in the capital Kiev.

Pakdemirli said Turkey wants to enhance bilateral relations with Ukraine in any field, particularly in economy.

The bilateral trade volume between the two countries was $3.5 billion in 2017, he said, adding: "Agricultural trade includes $1.104 billion part of it."

The minister asserted that the countries should strive more to reach targeted bilateral trade volume of $10 billion.

"It is also important for our cooperation to take part together in the EU market through increasing mutual investments in agriculture," Pakdemirli said.