WASHINGTON - Turkey's strategy to increase trade and independence of countries on each other in its region was a unique formula to ensure regional peace, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Monday.
Speaking in luncheon hosted upon the 23rd Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkish Relations organized by the American Turkish Council (ATC), Tuzmen said that the main problem in the Middle East was the low income per capita.
Tuzmen stated that a robust atmosphere would be created in the region with more education and health services.
Turkey had increased its trade with regional countries by a few folds, Tuzmen pointed out.
Tuzmen said, ''Turkey's strategy to increase trade and independence of countries on each other in its region is a unique formula for regional peace.''
The United States continued to be the biggest trade partner of Turkey, Tuzmen noted.
Tuzmen said that Turkey was pleased to see that its trade volume with the United States had increased in the last decade but thought that there were still more steps to be taken.
Trade volume between Turkey and the United States was recorded as 7 billion U.S. dollars, comprised of 3.7 billion exports and 3.4 billion imports, at the end of 2003, Tuzmen noted.
Tuzmen said that trade volume between two countries should be more balanced.
Expressing belief that the trade volume could be increased to at least 10 billion U.S. dollars, Tuzmen said that providing advantages to investors was important for increasing the trade volume.
Turkish National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul is also participating in the annual conference of ATC.
Tuzmen and Gonul had left Turkey for the United States on Sunday.
(BRC) 05.04.2004