Margarita Robles and Hulusi Akar have highlighted the "good bilateral relations" between the two countries, following the meeting between President Pedro Sánchez and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the last NATO Summit in Brussels.
During the telephone meeting, Minister Akar welcomed the deployment of a Spanish "Patriot" missile battery in Adana (Turkey). In her response, Minister Robles reiterated our commitment to this NATO mission in Turkey.
On the other hand, Minister Akar valued Spain's willingness and the impetus given to the access and co-participation of Third States in the European Union's Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), requesting our country's support for their incorporation into the European Military Mobility project. In this vein, Minister Robles stressed the importance of NATO Allies being able to join PESCO projects of common interest, highlighting the Military Mobility Project as a great opportunity because of its importance to the Alliance.
Both ministers then discussed the situation in Afghanistan, where the Spanish defence minister stressed the importance of Turkey's commitment to the future of that country and thanked Turkey for its efforts to secure operations at Kabul airport, which are essential for the continuity of NATO's civilian presence and for the future partnership with Afghanistan.
Another important discussion topic was industrial cooperation between the two countries. Minister Akar expressed his satisfaction with the projects currently underway and his interest in seeking new opportunities for collaboration, particularly in naval and airborne systems. Minister Robles invited her counterpart to visit the International Defence Fair (FEINDEF), which will take place in Madrid in November.
In addition, the two ministers agreed to develop a bilateral Industrial Cooperation Agreement in the coming months, which will contribute to creating highly skilled jobs. They also agreed to set a date for a future face-to-face meeting.
Non official translation
