Trade Minister Bolat to visit Japan for key investment summit, discuss mutual cooperation
Türkiye's Trade Minister Omer Bolat delivers a speech at the Century of Trade in the Century of Türkiye Conference, organized by the Turkish Parliamentarians Association Branch in Istanbul on Feb. 16, 2025. (AA Photo)
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat is scheduled to visit Japan to attend the fourth meeting of the Türkiye–Japan Trade and Investment Summit (TRINS), which is set to take place in Tokyo on April 24.
According to Türkiye daily, during his visit, Minister Bolat will hold a series of diplomatic meetings as part of Türkiye’s “Distant Countries Strategy,” aimed at expanding its presence in Asian markets and achieving its ambitious export target of $390 billion by 2025.
The TRINS meeting is expected to strengthen trade and investment ties between Türkiye and Japan further, with key sectors such as finance, technology, and construction likely to take center stage.
Ukraine’s reconstruction tops summit agenda
In 2023, Bolat met with Japan’s Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura in Istanbul to discuss bilateral trade, investment, and potential areas of economic cooperation.
During that meeting, the ministers also addressed opportunities for collaboration in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as potential joint efforts in post-war reconstruction in Ukraine, particularly in the areas of finance, technology, and investment.
Following Bolat’s recent visit to Ukraine, his upcoming talks in Japan have drawn attention, with expectations that the reconstruction of Ukraine will be one of the main agenda items at the summit.
Türkiye and Japan have previously collaborated on projects in sectors such as contracting, infrastructure, healthcare, automotive, food, steel, and transportation, including tunnels and roadways. The Tokyo summit may also pave the way for trilateral cooperation in third countries.
The bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Japan reached $5.5 billion last year, with projections suggesting it could rise to $6–7 billion in the near future.
