In brief remarks prior to the meeting, President Erdoğan thanked President Biden for his call to congratulate him on his re-election, and said: “I am of the opinion that it is now time to have negotiations at the presidential level within the context of the strategic mechanism. I see this meeting, occurring on the margin of NATO, as the first step of this. Our previous meetings were like warm-up sessions, and now we are starting a new process. This new process is a five-year-long process for me. And now, you are also getting prepared for the forthcoming elections. I wish you success with the preparations.”
U.S. President Biden, for his part, described the NATO Summit as “historic,” and expressed his pleasure over the agreement reached about Sweden’s NATO membership bid. Thanking President Erdoğan for the diplomacy he carried out and the leadership he displayed on the Sweden issue, President Biden said: “This summit is reaffirming our commitment to NATO defense with close Allies in NATO, and I hope we can make it even stronger.” In response to President Erdoğan’s wishes of good luck in the U.S. presidential elections, President Biden stated: “And we look forward to meeting with you the next five years.”
