Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with his Bolivian counterpart, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, in Istanbul on Saturday, discussing bilateral relations and opportunities to expand cooperation in several strategic sectors, particularly the defense industry and mining.

The meeting took place at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments.

Erdoğan described Bolivia as an important partner for Türkiye in Latin America, stressing the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation across a range of fields.

He particularly highlighted the defense industry as an area with significant potential for closer collaboration.

The Turkish president also said that agreements under consideration would strengthen the legal framework governing relations between the two countries on a mutually beneficial basis.

Emphasizing opportunities for further cooperation, Erdoğan pointed to mining as another key sector in which Türkiye and Bolivia could expand their partnership.

The meeting forms part of Türkiye's broader efforts to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with Latin American countries and expand its international partnerships. (ILKHA)