ANKARA - Efforts of Syria to open a consulate in southern Gaziantep province were very pleasing, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Monday.
Tuzmen, who met with Syrian Minister of Transportation Makram Ubayd, said that easy and cheap transportation would have significant contributions to increase in trade.
Turkey and Syria had continued efforts to open border trade centers, Tuzmen stated.
Tuzmen said that transition fees were still high and noted that in case those fees were reduced, Turkey's trade with Syria and with third countries via Syria would increase.
Ubayd said that his country was listening to complaints of Turkish business world and was launching initiatives to overcome them.
Noting that they had increased number of air corridor to three, Ubayd said that passenger ships which stop by Israeli ports were enabled to also stop by Syrian ports.
Ubayd proposed that transportation ministers of surrounding countries should be invited to the meeting to take place between Turkish and Syrian transportation ministers in order to put into practice the old Hijaz Road project.
Syrian Minister of Transportation Ubayd, who came to Turkey to attend Turkish-Syrian Joint Transportation Commission meeting, visited Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim earlier on Monday.
(BRC) 10.05.2004