Minister sets goal for trade with Arab League: $100 bln

BENGHAZI - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey is ready to share its experiences with Arab countries in the areas of organized industrial zones and SMEs, Ergün says.

Turkey targets reaching a $100 billion trade volume between Turkey and Arab League countries within the next five years, the Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat Ergün said at the 2nd Turkish-Arab Industrial Cooperation Conference in Libya yesterday.

Ergün said the volume stood at $6 billion in 2002 and had risen to $35 billion in 2011, making Arab League countries constitute 9 percent of Turkey’s total foreign trade.

Ergün said that it was necessary to further increase free trade agreements and visa exemptions between Turkey and Arab countries.

Turkey is ready to share its experiences with Arab countries in the areas of organized industrial zones, small and medium scale enterprises, incentive systems, consumer rights and strategy documents, he added.

A Turkish delegation including 100 industrialists and businessmen representing the iron and steel, construction, petro chemistry, machinery, food, telecommunications, textile, automotives, banking and medical sectors accompanied the minister.

Moroccan Industry Minister Abdelkader Amara said his country was willing to improve business ties with Turkey. “We should benefit from Turkey’s experiences … We want Turkey to undertake a role among Arab countries,” said Amara, adding that Morocco wanted to cooperate with Turkey in the same way that western European countries did with eastern European countries.

Tunisian Industry Minister Mohamed Amine Chakhari said at the event that the Arab region appreciated the successes of Turkey in the areas of economy and industry. The world envied Turkey for its economic successes, he said.

Noting that Arab countries also wanted to reach a good level in industry, he said they attached importance to cooperation with Turkey and that more efforts were needed to encourage more cooperation.

Chakhari named the food, mining, chemistry, energy and cement sectors as possible fields of cooperation. The 3rd Turkish-Arab Industrial Cooperation Conference will take place in Egypt in 2013.