Óscar Puente signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Turkey to strengthen collaboration in the development of infrastructure and transport

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, signs a Memorandum of Understanding with his Turkish counterpart, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, in Istanbul

The Minister for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with his Turkish counterpart, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the development of infrastructure and transport.

The agreement has been signed within the framework of the excellent bilateral relations between Spain and Turkey, as well as the desire of both countries to strengthen cooperation in transport matters that fall within their competence. This was made clear by the two leaders during their meeting yesterday to discuss bilateral issues, a meeting in which they reaffirmed their willingness to move forward in their collaboration.

The Memorandum signed today, which gives effects to these intentions, aims to strengthen cooperation between the two states, particularly in the area of transport and infrastructure, with a special focus on rail, maritime and air transport. It also focuses on boosting digitalisation, resilience and sustainability in these sectors, among other issues.

Memorandum

The agreement defines this cooperation in the field of transport and infrastructure, taking into account that both countries recognise "the vital role of transport corridors in maintaining the global supply chain and in contributing to social and economic development", as stated in the text.

The agreement also highlights the potential of both countries to serve as logistics hubs, as well as their willingness to work together to achieve common strategic objectives to improve international transport connectivity.

Specifically, the Memorandum envisages that Spain and Turkey can collaborate in the exchange of information, best practices and the development of pilot projects; in the provision of advisory services and technical assistance for the preparation and implementation of projects, and work in the field of research, technological development and innovation. It also includes cooperation in the organisation of meetings, workshops and conferences, as well as training and capacity building programmes.

Transport Connectivity Forum 2025

On the other hand, as part of his official trip to Istanbul, the minister attended the Global Transport Connectivity Forum 2025, which is being held in the Turkish city from 27 to 29 June to discuss the development and optimisation of international transport corridors. The event was inaugurated today by the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom Minister Óscar Puente greeted moments before the opening and with whom he had a brief chat.

In particular, Puente participated in a panel dedicated to addressing the challenges and opportunities in international transport corridors. In his speech, the minister highlighted the key role of Turkey and Spain, as both countries are "strategic nodes that facilitate transport and trade at a global level", being the central axis of several of the main international corridors.

As he stressed in his speech, these corridors "are an important public policy instrument" and "are key" for regional and global connectivity. "They are more than infrastructure and a set of transport services: they are a key element in contributing to strengthening social and territorial cohesion, stimulating growth and employment, and defining regional geopolitics," argued Puente.

As the main challenge, the minister pointed to the need to ensure the completion of cross-border connections and the continuity of international corridors, which in his opinion requires political will and agreements between countries. Furthermore, in the framework of the construction of these corridors, he sees the need to adequately combine environmental policies with the competitiveness of the transport sector. "Sustainability and economic development are two sides of the same coin: we cannot be sustainable without being more competitive," he said.

In his speech, the minister also referred to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), stating that it represents "the opportunity for integration and the materialisation of the Single Market" of the EU. For Spain, he said, the TEN-T "has been more than an infrastructure", as "it has been a top-level policy". In fact, he declared that the two corridors that pass through Spanish territory (the Atlantic and the Mediterranean) "can turn the Iberian Peninsula into a gateway, not a dead end".

According to the minister, the railway is the backbone of the Spanish transport system. In this line, he emphasised strategic planning and "the significant public investment effort" as the basis for the success of this transport model in Spain.

Likewise, he remarked that Spain is "a global benchmark in the development of railway technology" and in the transport and infrastructure sector. He thus offered the Spanish experience with a view to the future development of international and regional corridors.

To round off, the minister met during the Transport Connectivity Forum with a delegation from the World Bank and with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Lithuania.

Spanish companies in Turkey

The minister's official visit to Istanbul ended with a meeting with representatives of Spanish companies in Turkey from different areas of the transport sector. Puente expressed his support and gratitude for their work in Turkey, where they are developing important projects. The minister also met with the vice-president of the World Bank and with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Lithuania and Albania.

Non official translation