ISTANBUL - Turkey might further improve commercial relations with Iraq through Lebanon, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri said on Thursday.
Hariri, who attended a working lunch organized by Turkish-Lebanese Business Council, stressed that Lebanese had very good relations with Turkey.
Agreements on prevention of double taxation and encouragement of reciprocal investments were about to be signed, Hariri said.
Hariri noted that Lebanon should not be considered a small market of 3.5 million people because Lebanese people were also influential in all Arab countries and Africa.
Making business with Lebanon would mean making business with all Arab countries, Hariri stated.
Hariri said that Turkey and Lebanon could cooperate in especially tourism, medicine industry and manufacturing of many goods.
Lebanon was a very important door in trade, banking and tourism, Hariri pointed out.
Touching on commercial relations with Iraq, Hariri said that Lebanon had increased its trade with Lebanon by three-folds in the last few months.
Stating that Lebanon knew that Turkey had good relations with Iraq, Hariri said that Turkey could increase trade with Iraq through Lebanon.
Hariri pointed out that two countries had the potential to cooperate in tourism.
Two countries could make an arrangement to exchange tourists visiting Turkey and tourists visiting Lebanon, Hariri said.
Hariri suggested that two countries should organize tours at reasonable prices, noting that neither Turkey nor Lebanon would lose from it.
Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri promised to work to facilitate visa procedures for Turkish citizens when he returned to his country.
Hariri, who came to Turkey for an official visit as the guest of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, was welcomed at the Prime Ministry by an official ceremony and received by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on the same day.
Erdogan and Hariri held a joint press conference after their tete-a-tete meeting and meetings between Turkish and Lebanese delegations the same day.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Hariri discussed developments in Iraq, the Middle East and Palestine.
Erdogan hosted dinner in Hariri's honor on Monday evening.
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met with Hariri earlier on Tuesday.
Hariri then proceeded to Istanbul.
(BRC-AÖ) 13.05.2004