ISTANBUL - The Fourth Conference of Euro-Mediterranean (Euromed) Trade Ministers opened in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Ministers and high-level representatives of 25 EU member states and ten Mediterranean littoral states are participating in the conference.
Euro-Mediterranean trade ministers are discussing initiatives that have been launched and will be launched to establish a free trade zone between the European Union (EU) and the Mediterranean countries till 2010 as a part of the Barcelona process.
Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen told reporters that Turkey wanted to sign free trade agreements with all the participating countries, excluding those with whom it had earlier made such an agreement.
Tuzmen said that Turkey wanted to sign free trade agreements with Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria and Egypt till the end of this year.
Participants were discussing facilitation of trade, investment opportunities and services sector, Tuzmen stated.
Tuzmen said that Turkish exporters were facing the most difficult days currently, and noted that Turkey was trying to enter into markets when trade restrictions and high customs tariffs maintained in some countries.
All Turkish small and medium scale enterprises would push their high-quality goods and services to every market if countries reduced high customs tariffs and lifted other obstacles, Tuzmen said.
(BRC-AÖ) 21.07.2004