SARAJEVO - Turkish company Sa-Ra won tender for construction of seven hydroelectric power plants in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The company undertook construction of two power plants over Kolina River, one over Cemefka River and four others in Travnik region in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Power plants will be constructed with build-operate-transfer model. Construction is estimated to cost 16 million euros and finish in 24 months. After completion of the construction, power plants will be operated by the Turkish company for 30 years.
Speaking to the A.A correspondent on Friday, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkish companies were interested in all superstructure and infrastructure projects in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
''Investments by Turkish companies in Bosnia-Herzegovina have been increasing rapidly. Currently, there is twenty million U.S. dollars of Turkish investments in trade, services and food sectors in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It will increase over to one hundred million U.S. dollars by the end of this year,'' he said.
''Sixty-five million U.S. dollars investment will be made in forestry and paper sectors and five million U.S. dollars investment in medicine sector,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Tuzmen who is accompanied by a number of Turkish businessmen met with Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister Dragan Doko, Transportation and Communications Minister Branko Dokic and Council Of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
In his meeting with Doko, Tuzmen said that legal basis had been formed to increase bilateral trade and mutual visits by the Turkish and Bosnia-Herzegovina businessmen in coming period would be beneficial to efforts for an increase in bilateral trade volume.
Asking for lifting of bureaucratic obstacles for increase in Turkish investments in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tuzmen said that it would further enhance bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, Doko said that free trade agreement signed between the two states played an important role in increase of trade.
Doko said they were pleased with Turkish investors' interest in Bosnia-Herzegovina, adding that interest of Turkish companies in Telekom to be privatized was important.
At the meeting, the sides decided to hold Turkey-Bosnia Herzegovina Joint Economic Commission meeting in Ankara in July.
The commission did not convene in last six years.
During Tuzmen's meeting with Dokic, the 2.5 billion U.S. dollars of ''820-kilometer motorway'' project which will connect Adriatic Sea to Budapest, was discussed.
Tuzmen said that Turkish companies wanted to participate in this project.
(MS-AY) 30.04.2004