Turkey and the European Union are set to hold a high-level economy meeting after a 6-year gap. The meeting will be attended by the Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Simsek. The Turkey-European Union (EU) High Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) Meeting, after a 6-year hiatus, will take place in Brussels tomorrow. According to information from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the establishment of the HLED mechanism was decided during the Turkey-EU Summit in November 2015 to enhance dialogue channels between Turkey and the EU. In this context, three meetings were held in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Turkey hosted the first and third meetings while Belgium hosted the second one. Most recently, in December 2024, at the EU General Affairs Council meeting, it was decided to revitalize the dialogue. This decision was also approved at the EU Heads of State and Government Summit and formalized. Consequently, the first meeting of this new period will be held on April 3rd in Brussels. The opening speeches will be delivered by Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Simsek, EU Commissioner for the Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. The meeting is crucial for accelerating economic relationships between the parties and deepening strategic cooperation. FINANCE GIANTS TO PARTICIPATE The meeting will consist of two main sections. In the first part, discussions will revolve around the macroeconomic outlooks of Turkey and the EU at the ministerial level, steps that can be taken in the competitiveness field, and structural reforms. Minister Simsek and Commissioner Dombrovskis will co-chair these sessions. In the second part, leading representatives of the business world in Turkey and the EU will come together with ministers and commissioners to assess mutual investment and trade opportunities. Top executives from European-based financial institutions such as the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the European Development Bank will also attend the meetings. Minister Simsek will also hold bilateral meetings with Dombrovskis and Kos during the meetings to discuss the future of relations and potential areas of cooperation. “READY FOR STRONG COLLABORATION WITH THE EU” Minister Simsek viewed the resumption of the meetings after a 6-year gap as a significant step toward revitalizing Turkey-EU relations, stating, “As someone who co-chaired the first meeting held in 2016, I am pleased with the revival of this platform.” Emphasizing that EU membership is a strategic goal for Turkey, Simsek mentioned that about 42% of the country’s exports are to EU countries and Turkey is the EU’s fifth-largest trading partner. Simsek highlighted the increasing protectionist tendencies in global trade and developments in e-commerce, digitalization, and green transformation, pointing out the need for an updated trade framework. He noted that updating the Customs Union to include public procurement, services, and agriculture sectors, providing visa facilitation for business people and students, and developing joint projects in third countries present significant opportunities for Turkey-EU cooperation. He concluded, “With our competencies and capabilities spanning a wide range of areas from defense to energy, agriculture to manufacturing industry, we are ready for stronger and multidimensional collaboration with the EU.”