MOSCOW (AA) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed on Wednesday to declare a Turkish year in Russia, and a Russian year in Turkey, and said that such a move would start a new dialogue between cultures.
Making a keynote speech at the inauguration ceremony of the Turkish Trade Center build in Russian capital of Moscow, Erdogan said that the investment made for this building is worth 60 million U.S. dollars and showed the dimensions of bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia.
Expressing his belief that Russian businessmen would construct such a Russian trade center in Turkey soon, Erdogan said, ''when we start to realize such projects, we will be closer to each other.''
Stressing that Turkish businessmen had undertaken projects worth of 12 billion U.S. dollars in Russia and that they made investments worth of 2 billion U.S. dollars, Erdogan said, ''we want Russian businessmen to increase their investments in Turkey as well. I proposed them to declare a 'Turkish year' in Russia, and a 'Russian year' in Turkey. Let's start dialogue between cultures this way.''
Also proposing to build a Russian trade center in Turkey, Erdogan said that Turkish and Russian businessmen could undertake joint projects in other countries as well.
''There are many firms in Turkey and Russia that can do a lot to reconstruct Iraq. There is also a strong political will regarding this matter,'' Erdogan said.
Emphasizing that the Turkish Trade Center opened in Moscow would enhance economic cooperation between Turkey and Russia, Erdogan said, ''I think that Turkish-Russian joint trade centers should be opened in Eurasian countries. Thus, our businessmen will contribute to regional stability, and even have an impact on the political life there.''
Erdogan recalled that the number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey reached 1.7 million as of the end of 2004, putting Russia in the second place among countries sending tourists to Turkey, following Germany.
Erdogan stated that Turkey and Russia aimed to increase their bilateral trade volume up to 15 billion U.S. dollars by the end of this year, and 25 billion by the end of 2007, and added that two neighbor countries can contribute to regional stability.
(BRC-ULG)
2005-01-12