Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek held a joint press conference with Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commission member responsible for Economy and Productivity, at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Working Office within the scope of the Türkiye-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue Meeting.
Minister Şimşek stated that the Customs Union operates according to the economic realities of the 1990s. In the intergovernmental session we held this morning, we extensively discussed the global economic outlook, our common challenges and concrete steps to advance our cooperation.
Industrial cooperation, new trade corridors, energy security, joint projects in third countries and strengthening supply chains were the prominent topics on our agenda. The common denominator of all these topics was to make our economies more competitive and more resilient. In this context, the Customs Union is of particular importance.
As you know, the Customs Union has formed the basis of our economic relations for over 30 years. But the world has changed. The Customs Union, however, still operates according to the economic realities of the 1990s. Today's economy is not just about industrial products. Services, digital trade, public procurement and agriculture are now integral parts of economic integration.
Therefore, we view the modernization of the Customs Union not as a technical update, but as a strategic necessity.