ISTANBUL - Agreement on formation of Turkish-Sudanese Business Council was signed in Istanbul on Thursday.
Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) Executive Board member, Sudanese Honorary Consul in Istanbul Zeynel Abidin Erdem, and Sudanese Businessmen's and Employers' Federation Secretary General Mohameld Yousif Elnor signed the agreement.
Speaking in the ceremony, Erdem pointed to the historical ties between Turkey and Sudan and said that Sudan, as a country having the largest soil in the continent of Africa, offered business opportunities to Turkish companies especially in the fields of agriculture, construction and infrastructure, energy and industrial production.
Erdem noted that formation of pumping stations on the 730-kilometer oil pipeline constituted a big potential for Turkish companies.
Sudan offered joint investment possibilities in the fields of sugar production, cement, textile, automobile assembling industry and food, Erdem stated.
Erdem emphasized that formation of a correspondent bank was of utmost importance for development of commercial and economic relations between the two countries.
The Business Council which would be established under the umbrella of DEIK and Sudanese Businessmen's and Employers' Federation soon would accelerate commercial and economic relations and inform the business circles by closely watching the developments, Erdem added.
Elnor pointed out that they were starting cooperation between the two countries that day and that cooperation would end the problems. He invited Turkish companies to Sudan.
According to figures of DEIK, exports from Turkey to Sudan increased by 2.5 percent to 55.9 million U.S. dollars while the imports from Sudan to Turkey climbed from 1.3 to 12.4 million U.S. dollars last year.
(BRC-ÖS) 29.05.2003