ISTANBUL - President Alfred Moisiu of Albania said on Wednesday that economic relations between Turkey and Albania should be further improved in the following periods.
Moisiu, who is currently in Turkey as the official guest of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, delivered a speech at a working luncheon organized by Turkish-Albanian Business Council operating under the body of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK).
Stating that he was very pleased to visit a friendly country upon invitation of President Sezer, Moisiu stressed that those contacts contributed to further development of relations between the two countries.
Moisiu said that Sezer and he had reached consensus that economic relations between the two countries should be further improved.
Stating that he said during his meetings with President Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkish companies could also show interest in strategic privatization in energy, telecom and finance sectors in Albania, Moisiu said that Albania was a country which was developing according to conditions of free market economy.
He said that like Turkey, Albania was working for the EU and noted that they were working to record progress in economy and other fields.
Moisiu said that Turkey had always extended support to Albania and they were grateful to Turkey for its support.
Stating that Albania changed a lot, Moisiu said that they expected Turkish businessmen to invest in his country.
According to DEIK data, exports from Turkey to Albania rose 7.4 percent to 78.8 million U.S. dollars and imports from Albania increased 7.3 percent to 3.8 million U.S. dollars in 2002.
Turkey exports foodstuffs, chemicals, cleaning materials, textiles and industrial products to Albania.
(EÖ-MS) 28.05.2003
ERGEZEN: ''TURKEY HAS MADE NEARLY 35 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS OF CONTRACTING JOB IN ALBANIA''
ISTANBUL - Public Works and Settlement Minister Zeki Ergezen said on Wednesday that Turkish companies had made nearly 35 million U.S. dollars contracting job so far in Albania, and this could be considered proof of the importance that Turkey attributed to Albania.
Speaking at a working lunch which was hosted by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in honor of Albanian President Alfred Moisiu who is currently paying an official visit to Turkey, Ergezen said Turkey and Albania had strong historical and friendly ties.
Noting that trade between Turkey and Albania mostly comprised of construction and contracting sectors which were the most important link of economic relations, Ergezen said, ''our contractors have completed many projects successfully and carried out important works in Albania. We sincerely wish that those projects would increase. Development of our relations is possible with the political authority's support to our companies operating in Albania. As politicians, it is our duty to further improve our cooperation.''
According to DEIK data, exports from Turkey to Albania rose 7.4 percent to 78.8 million U.S. dollars and imports from Albania increased 7.3 percent to 3.8 million U.S. dollars in 2002.
Turkey exports foodstuffs, chemicals, cleaning materials, textiles and industrial products to Albania.
(MS-BRC) 28.05.2003