Turkey, Bosnia sign agriculture accord

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker (R) with Bosnia Foreign Trade Minister Sarovic. AA photo

Turkey and Bosnia signed an “Agriculture and Rural Development Partnership” agreement yesterday in Ankara. The agreement was signed by Turkey’s Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker and Bosnia’s Foreign Trade and Economy Minister Mirlo Sarovic.

“The agreement will provide close to 200 million euros in funds toward investments in the agriculture and rural development field,” Sarovic said at the signing.

“The agreement we sign today will be an important step in carrying our partnership with Bosnia to another level,” said Eker. Turkey and Bosnia currently have close to $350 million in annual trade turnover and that $40 million of this is in the agriculture sector, but this low number is hardly adequate to realize the vast potential between the two countries, Eker said.

The agreement will encompass the transfer of know-how in agricultural and rural development, animal heath and agriculture food safety, plant and fauna protection and pesticide controls. Furthermore, the agreement will foster investments in the private sector of both countries and provide incentives for research institutions to carry out studies on soil and water usage, climate changes, modern food production and partnerships in other key areas.

Sarovic also said that Bosnia had a total of 14 agreements with Turkey, and six on the way. He added that Bosnia had not signed this many agreements with any other country.