ISTANBUL - Federation of Syrians Chambers of Commerce and Damascus Chamber of Commerce Chairman Rateb Shallah has said that border trade between Turkey and Syria could reach to 1 billion U.S. dollars in a year.
Turkish-Syrian Business Council Joint Meeting was held in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Speaking at the meeting, Shallah said that increase in activities in the banking sector would accelerate economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Syria.
Noting that free trade zones in the border region provided them with great opportunities, Shallah said, ''I believe that border trade between Turkey and Syria would reach to 1 billion U.S. dollars in a year.''
Shallah said that a meeting would take place in Aleppo between May 29 and 30, 2004 with the participation of Turkish and Syrian businessmen with the support of Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) Executive Board member Tugrul Erkin said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's visit to Turkey in January had accelerated the bilateral relations between Turkey and Syria.
He recalled that several agreements were signed during President al-Assad's visit to prevent double-taxation, to encourage investments and to protect investments.
Erkin said that the first round of talks had begun in Ankara to sign a free trade agreement between the two countries.
Noting that Turkish firms would be able to make more investments in Syria in the sectors of textiles, foodstuff, cement, electricity and tourism, Erkin added that right of Turkish businessmen participating in the international tenders in Syria should be preserved.
Turkish-Syrian Business Council Co-President Bahaeddin Hasan said that sweeping off land-mines in the border region between the two countries would revive the trade.
He invited Turkish businessmen to make more investments in Syria.
(UK-AY) 27.04.2004