ISTANBUL, June 9 (Reuters) – The trade ministers of Turkey and Canada have agreed to launch exploratory discussions aimed at concluding a free trade agreement, according to a joint ministerial statement on Tuesday.
The statement said Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu had met to advance the strong and growing economic partnership between the two countries.
“They agreed to launch exploratory discussions toward a free trade agreement, a step that reflects the ambition of both countries to unlock the full potential of the commercial partnership,” the statement said.
It said they identified energy as a promising area for expanded cooperation and agreed to explore opportunities in renewable energy, as well as in nuclear energy, including the potential of Canadian CANDU technology to support Turkey’s diversification goals.
(Reporting by Can Sezer; Editing by Daren Butler)