Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini on the sidelines of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, with the two leaders discussing bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments.

During the meeting at the Presidential Complex on Thursday, Erdogan stressed the need to step up efforts to achieve the two countries’ mutual trade and investment goals, saying Türkiye and Slovakia should make greater use of cooperation opportunities, particularly in the transport and energy sectors, the Turkish Communications Directorate said.

He also emphasised that efforts to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities should be carried out in a way that complements NATO.

On regional issues, Erdogan said Türkiye continues diplomatic efforts to end the wars involving Iran and Ukraine, while also working to establish peace and stability in Gaza and end the humanitarian crisis there, the directorate said.

Turkish President hosted leaders of NATO member states in Ankara on July 7-8 for the alliance’s 36th summit, holding a series of bilateral meetings alongside discussions on defence, security and regional challenges.