ATHENS - Turkey and Greece signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding for ''Salonica-Istanbul European Corridor'' concerning motorway between Igumenice-Ipsala-Istanbul.
Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim and Greek Transportation and Communications Minister Khristos Verelis signed the memorandum of understanding.
Delivering a speech at the signing ceremony, Yildirim said that the memorandum of understanding which was signed between the two countries would contribute to transportation on motorway between Igumenice-Ipsala-Istanbul. He added that it would also increase transit passages from Europe via Turkey to the Far East.
Yildirim said that this cooperation would also contribute to railway transportation and development of infrastructure standards.
Stating that Verelis and he also held meetings on telecommunication field, Yildirim said that meetings which have been started recently between Telekom and Greece's telecommunication organization OTE continued.
Yildirim said that cooperation in transportation and communication between the two countries would have positive effects to improvement of Turkish-Greek relations.
Upon questions, Yildirim said that 100 km of Ipsala-Istanbul motorway was completed and noted that construction on 70 km of the motorway continued.
Verelis said that a big part of motorway in Greece would be completed by the end of 2006 and stated that two committees were set up to carry out technical studies for this joint initiative. Verelis added that the first meeting would be held in Salonica on February 26.
Yildirim will leave Greece for Turkey the same day.
(EÖ-AY) 22.01.2004