Tuzmen In Macedonia

REDUCTIONS AND EXEMPTIONS VALID FOR EU, SHOULD ALSO BE VALID FOR TURKISH PRODUCTS

SKOPJE/ANKARA - State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Wednesday that Turkey opened its market to Macedonia before the EU and it expected the same approach from Macedonia, asking reductions and exemptions valid for EU products to be also valid for Turkish products.
Addressing the opening of the Turkish-Macedonian Business Council meeting in Skopje, Tuzmen said that the concessions given to EU by the free trade agreement signed between Macedonia and EU in 2001, put Turkish products in a difficult position in respect of competing with exporters of the EU.
Tuzmen said that no result was taken from the technical meetings held to date to develop agricultural concessions. Tuzmen said Turkey always favoured free trade regime.
Turkey Exporters Assembly (TIM) Chairman Oguz Satýcý said that the two countries had the commercial potential, adding that the distance between Turkey and Macedonia was very short. ''We have common values and references to have easy communication between us,'' he added.
(ÖÞ-AÖ) 10.12.2003