The European enlargement chief and the Turkish foreign minister said on Friday they had agreed to continue work toward modernizing the EU-Turkey customs union and to improve its implementation.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the capital Ankara on Friday.

“They shared a willingness to work for paving the way for the modernization of the Customs Union and to achieve its full potential in order to support competitiveness, and economic security and resilience for both sides,” they said in a joint statement afterward.

The sides also welcomed the gradual resumption of European Investment Bank (EIB) operations in Turkey and said they intended to support projects across the country and neighbouring regions in cooperation with the bank.