Turkey and the European Union held a high-level economic meeting after 6 years. Minister Şimşek stated that a positive dialogue on the economy with the EU began. Şimşek mentioned that topics such as the Customs Union and visa liberalization were also discussed. Following the Turkey-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue Meeting held in Brussels, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek made evaluations. Pointing out that the first meeting after a 6-year hiatus was held within the scope of the Turkey-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue, Şimşek said, “This is a very important and positive step in enhancing Turkey-EU relations.” Relations Revitalization on the Agenda Minister Şimşek emphasized that the dialogue meeting with senior EU officials proceeded positively, stating, “It went in a very constructive atmosphere. There were very productive meetings. We discussed topics such as the global challenges faced by both Turkey and Europe, the outlook of Europe, and the outlook of the Turkish economy. We had the opportunity to explain Turkey’s reform efforts and disinflation efforts, in particular.” Şimşek drew attention to the EU presenting a perspective on its new era policies, saying, “Significant changes are happening in the world. Both the EU and Turkey are affected by these developments. We discussed how we can limit the effects of these developments by working together, how we can collaborate for the benefit of the EU and Turkey, and cooperation in third countries. We raised the issue of revitalizing Turkey-EU relations.” Visa Liberalization Discussed Particularly pointing out that they had the opportunity to discuss and talk about many issues such as updating the Customs Union and visa liberalization firsthand with the EU Commission’s Executive Vice President for an Economy that is responsible for Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. Mentioning that top-level managers of Europe-based international financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) also participated in the meetings, Şimşek emphasized that they discussed investments in Turkey and financing opportunities here. “A Positive Start to the Economic Dialogue” Minister Şimşek stated that they also held a high-level dialogue meeting for the business circles and then had one-on-one meetings with EU officials, saying, “The atmosphere was quite constructive. I can say that the dialogue on the economy started well. Hopefully, this dialogue will pave the way for other dialogues. Especially in transportation, energy, and in the political field, it strengthens or opens up dialogues.” Şimşek announced the completion of the fourth meeting within the scope of the Turkey-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue, stating that they decided that the fifth meeting will be held in Turkey next year.