We will enter a new phase in our energy cooperation with commencement of liquefied gas supply from Oman starting from 2025, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.
The trip of Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al marks the first official state visit from Oman to Türkiye at presidential level, Erdogan told a joint news conference in the capital Ankara.
He said he plans to make a return visit to Oman in the near future and added that Türkiye shares 'deep historical ties and brotherly bonds' with Oman and bilateral ties will continue to develop in all fields.
'We aim to take the relations to even greater heights across all fields,' he said.
'We are eager to give a more institutional framework to our relations. To this end, we have considered various options, including the high-level strategic cooperation mechanism.'
'As many as 10 agreements have been signed to advance our cooperation in areas such as foreign relations, economy, industry, investment, healthcare, culture, agriculture, and livestock. A joint declaration has also been adopted,' the Turkish president said.
He shared that Turkish firms have successfully completed projects worth $7 billion in Oman to date, and added that they also discussed how Turkish companies could contribute to Oman's Vision 2040, a long-term strategic plan to guide the Gulf country's development and progress.
'We aim to boost our economic and commercial relations to $5 billion at the first stage, reflecting our current potential,' Erdogan said.
'Starting from 2025, with the commencement of liquefied gas supply from Oman, we will enter a new era in our cooperation in the energy sector.'
Expressing his gratitude over the constructive dialogue between the two countries, Sultan Haitham described Türkiye as 'brother country.'
'I would like to express that I am very pleased with the constructive dialogue and discussions that have taken place between us,' he said.
Highlighting the deep historical ties between Türkiye and Oman, he added: 'Our goal is to further strengthen these relations in all areas. We are committed to increasing our cooperation with the aim of achieving greater progress and making further strides for the benefit of both countries.'
He underlined that significant efforts would be made in this regard, pointing out that Turkish companies have already contributed to his country's development and major infrastructure projects.
Expressing full confidence in the Turkish economy, he said: 'By combining the economies of both countries, we can create a much stronger entity.'
He said close contact between Omani and Turkish officials has been established, with instructions given to increase relations in key sectors, adding that a joint investment fund has also been set up.
Pointing to cooperation opportunities in sectors such as energy, defense, education, industry, and food production, he said there is a desire to further enhance cultural cooperation and bilateral dialogue.
By Esra Tekin
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr