ANKARA - Foreign Trade Undersecretary Tuncer Kayalar left on Sunday for Cameroon.
A statement of the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat said that Turkish-Cameroonian Joint Economic Commission (JEC) First Term Meeting would take place in capital Yaounde between August 5 and 7 in order to improve economic and commercial relations with neighbor and surrounding countries.
The meeting will be presided by Kayalar and Cameroonian Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of Relations with the Islamic World Adoum Gargoum.
Kayalar is expected to be received by Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge of Cameroon and meet with some ministers during his visit.
Prior to his departure, Kayalar told reporters that Cameroon was considered a door opening to especially center and western Africa in Turkey's policy to develop economic and commercial relations with African countries.
Kayalar said that Cameroon was an important trade center of the region and a great deal of foreign trade of Chad and Central African Republic was being made via Douala port due to the geographical location.
Cameroon, which had a foreign trade volume of almost 4 billion U.S. dollars, had significant oil, natural gas and agricultural resources, Kayalar pointed out.
Kayalar said that Cameroon's importance in the region would increase as the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline became operational.
The pipeline will ensure transportation of oil of Chad to world markets.
(BRC) 03.08.2003