IZMIR - Mongolian businessmen, who came to Aegean Izmir province with Mongolian President Natsagiyn Bagabandi, held bilateral meetings with members of Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO) on Saturday.
IZTO Executive Board Chairman Ekrem Demirtas said prior to meetings that the commercial relations between two countries were very limited. Noting that the distance between two countries was no more a problem thanks to the developing technology, Demirtas said that many members of IZTO were making investments in Kazakhstan, adding that they could also make investments in Mongolia.
Mongolian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Sambuu Demberel said that there were many fields in which two countries could make cooperation. Noting that the interest to Turkish goods increased in Mongolia, Demberel invited businessmen of Izmir to Turkish Products Fair which would be opened in Mongolia in June.
Mongolian Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Damdin Tsogtbaatar said that Mongolia and Turkey had signed 27 protocols and institutions of two countries had signed 30 protocols during 35 years of relations, but economic relations have not improved very much.
Turkey and Mongolia signed cooperation protocol during the meeting. A total of 11 Mongolian firms held meetings with nearly 20 Turkish firms.
Mongolian President Natsagiyn Bagabandi, accompanied by a delegation also including some Mongolian businessmen, came to Ankara on April 29. Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer welcomed Bagabandi at the Presidential Palace the same day.
Following the ceremony, Sezer and Bagabandi held a joint press conference.
Sezer stressed that he and Bagabandi would focus on possible steps to further improve cooperation between two countries.
Bagabandi, in his part, said that their target was to improve relations with Turkey and therefore, his country was ready to exert efforts to improve economic relations with Turkey.
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and his Mongolian counterpart Natsagiyn Bagabandi signed a joint declaration the same day.
Bagabandi later visited Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and met with Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
Sezer hosted dinner in Bagabandi's honor in the evening of April 29.
Bagabandi and accompanying delegation proceeded to Aegean Izmir province on May 1, visited Izmir Archeological Museum, and attended luncheon hosted in his honor by Izmir Governor Yusuf Ziya Goksu.
Mongolian President Bagabandi later proceeded to Kusadasi town of Aegean Aydin province.
(GC-BRC) 02.05.2004