TIRANA - Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay said on Tuesday that they encouraged Turkish companies to make investment in Albania.
State Minister Atalay, who is currently in Tirana, Albania to attend opening ceremony of Third Albanian-Turkish Export Products Fair, met separately with Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Namik Dokle and Economics Minister Anastas Angjeli.
Stating that Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency's (TIKA) training activities continued in different issues, Atalay said that experts on different fields came from Albania to Turkey to have training. Atalay said, ''we should further improve TIKA's activities. We should produce joint projects. I want TIKA to make more beneficial work here.''
Atalay said that there could be some projects which could be offered by economics ministry and other ministries and noted that he would support those projects through TIKA. He added that Turkish government also supported activities of the Business Council.
Atalay stressed that it was very beneficial to review relations between Turkey and Albania.
He noted that there was not any problem in relations between the two countries.
Stating that Turkish government attached great importance to Turkish-Albanian relations, Atalay said that they were pleased with improvement in trade volume between the two countries and they wanted to further improve it.
Noting that they encouraged Turkish companies to make investment in Albania, he stated, ''we should search for ways to make joint business with Albanian companies as much as possible.''
Atalay said that he would convey Dokle's proposal for free trade agreement to be signed as soon as possible to concerned minister and the government.
Dokle said that a step was taken to sign free trade agreement and noted that he believed that figures in commercial field would rise more with the agreement.
Dokle said that there was possibility to develop export which exceeded 100 million U.S. dollars.
Angjeli noted that there was a rise in trade volume between Turkey and Albania last year and stated that joint business council should convene as soon as possible.
Stating that there were developments in investment, Angjeli said that there were 35 Turkish companies acting in Albania.
Angjeli added that Albania and ministry of economy would always support Turkish companies.
Dokle said that important developments would be recorded in the NATO summit which would be held in Istanbul in June regarding Albania's membership of the Alliance. He stated that U.S. President George Bush's speech in the historical ceremony with participation of leaders of seven countries which were accepted as members of NATO was encouraging.
Namik Dokle recalled Turkey's aid to Albania, especially in military field, and stated that they also expected Turkey's support for Albania's NATO membership in the summit which would be held in Istanbul.
Atalay said that Turkey supported Albania's NATO membership.
During his meeting with Angjeli, Atalay said that Turkey and Albania had relations rooted in history and noted that cooperation in economy and trade should be further improved.
Angjeli said that they supported every kind of initiative which would serve further improvement of cooperation between the two countries.
State Minister Atalay will visit Turcology Department of Tirana University and attend the opening ceremony of Third Albanian-Turkish Export Products Fair on Wednesday.
(EÖ-AÖ) 30.03.2004