ALEPPO - Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Utri suggested on Saturday to increase trade volume between Turkey and Syria to two billion U.S. dollars in a short time.
Delivering a speech at opening of Turkey-Syria Business Partnership Seminar, Utri said that they believed it was necessary to continue the development in Turkey-Syria relations which started with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad's visit to Ankara.
Suggesting to benefit from economic facilities of Turkey and Syria together, Utri said that Syria is on an important passage point which opens to Gulf countries, Middle East and African geography. He added that Syria could easily provide the transfer of Turkish goods to those countries.
Stressing that trade volume between Turkey and Syria was nearly one billion U.S. dollars, Utri said that they provided foreign investments to be made in Syria with the laws which made investment easier, adding that they saw Turkish businessmen making investments in Syria with pleasure. He said that Turkey and Syria should make free trade agreement and establish free trade zones, adding that they were making the necessary things to fulfill this.
Utri suggested to increase Turkey-Syria trade volume to two billion U.S. dollars and he wanted businessmen of two countries to make mutual investments.
Stressing that Turkey and Syria were located in complicated region, Utri said that good neighborhood relations were important.
Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen also attended the seminar and delivered a speech.
(GC-AY) 29.05.2004