ANTALYA - A member of the Executive Board of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and Chairman of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO), Kemal Ozgen, said Wednesday that Antalya has a strategically important sea port in the Mediterranean.
"We have pushed the button to develop maritime commerce between Turkey and Croatia," Ozgen said.
In a statement made on Wednesday, Kemal Ozgen said that Croatia`s Ambassador in Ankara Gordon Bakota, Croatian Consul General Damir Perini, Mayor of Croatian city of Zadar Zivko Kolega, officials from the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Development, Zadar Chamber of Economy, Zadar sea port management, ATSO, Chamber of Sea (DTO) Antalya Branch representatives and authorities from the Antalya sea port met in a two-days forum in Antalya.
"We would like to develop Ro-Ro, ferryboat and cargo ship trips between Antalya and Zadar. We wish to establish a strategic partnership between the sea ports of Antalya and Zadar," Ozgen said.
"It is high time to turn our talks into action. We are pleased to welcome the Mayor of Zadar Zivko Kolega to Antalya. We have pushed the button to develop maritime trade between our two countries. The Antalya sea port is the most ideal port to carry goods from the Mediterranean region to Zadar. This cooperation is important for both Turkey and Croatia," Ozgen stressed.
"We will make an investment of 230 million Euros at the Zadar sea port. The new Zadar sea port would be operational as of 2011. The new sea port would make Zadar an important center for central Europe," Zivko Koleka said.
"The Zadar sea port is an important port connecting central Europe to the Mediterranean with its proximity to highways, railways and airports. We can establish a `bridge` between central Europe and Antalya. For this reason, we would like to set up a strategic partnership with Antalya," Koleka said.
(SOL-AÖ)
(ECO)