Turkey and Italy plan to deepen their collaboration in the defence sector through upcoming joint ventures, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Tuesday.

Following discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Erdogan stated, “Our defence industry partnership with Italy, which has achieved considerable advancement, will continue to grow through new initiatives.”

During their joint press conference, Erdogan also revealed that both countries have agreed to aim for an annual trade volume of $40 billion.