Industry And Trade Minister Coskun Leaves For Croatia

ISTANBUL - Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun left on Sunday for Croatia to attend European Union (EU) North-South Dialogue Meeting.
Prior to his departure, Coskun told reporters that the meeting was the ''Fourth Meeting of the South Europe, North Nordic Countries'' and was hosted by Turkish-Greek Business Council.
Emphasizing that the meeting was important for Turkey in the EU membership process, Coskun noted that besides Turkey and Greece, Italy, Croatia, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark would attend the meeting.
Coskun said that economic relations among countries especially south and north European countries, investment opportunities, infrastructure, energy, telecommunication, tourism and encouragement of investments were generally taken up in those meetings.
He would proceed to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday and open the Turkish Export Products Fair, Coskun stated.
Coskun said that he would attend meetings on improvement of Turkey's economic relations with Balkan countries.
Stating that Turkey had a strategic importance in its region, Coskun said, ''the Balkan countries have not only historical and cultural importance but has an importance for economic relations.''
Coskun added that meetings held in Balkan countries were important to show that the government was exerting efforts to maintain positive opinion of the foreign countries on economic stability in Turkey.
(BRC) 07.09.2003