ISTANBUL - Bahraini Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa said on Thursday that Bahrain would do its best for Iraq's establishing its own national government and Iraq's existence on its own.
Al Khalifa and an accompanying delegation who are in Turkey for an official visit, visited the same day Istanbul Trade Chamber (ITO).
Noting that their target in visiting Turkey was to develop the political, economic and commercial relations between the two countries, Al Khalifa stated that he had positive contacts with President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and chairmen of various trade chambers in Ankara on Wednesday.
Al Khalifa stated that Bahrain was a fast developing country, adding Turkey was a suitable country to work with in respect of commerce, and for carrying out common activities. Turkey was a very important country with its geostrategic and geographic status, he said remarking that Turkey was the door of the East opening to Europe and the door of Europe opening to the Middle East.
Upon a question about Turkey's having soldiers in Iraq, Al Khalifa said that this issue was the internal affairs of the two countries. Al Khalifa stated that as Arab countries, they didn't discuss that issue, as it was not their issue.
Istanbul Trade Chamber's Chairman Mehmet Yýldýrým said in his part that Bahrain was the country which reached the fastest development rate of the Gulf, recalling that 70 Turkish companies held a fair in Bahrain in 1999 to promote Turkish products.
''We want to have another fair like that in 2004,'' Yýldýrým said.
Noting that Turkey should take its place in the foreign trade volume of Bahrain which was 10 billion dollars, Yýldýrým said that they discussed this issue with various institutions.
(ÖÞ-AÖ) 07.08.2003