JERUSALEM - Turkey and Israel signed a cooperation agreement on industrial research and development during Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan's tour of Israel.
Turkish Industry & Trade Minister Ali Coskun and Israeli Deputy Premier Ehud Olmert signed the agreement on Sunday.
Coskun told reporters, ''this agreement is very important in terms of consolidation of economic cooperation between our two countries. Bilateral relations have been further strengthened with the agreement.''
Meanwhile, Olmert said that the agreement is a step for development of relations between Turkey and Israel, adding that it is also important for peace process.
The agreement envisages encouragement of cooperation in industrial research and development between two countries. The cooperation will be on the areas of informatics, laser and optic, mecatronic, food, agricultural products and agricultural genetic, renewable energy, nanotechnology, aero-dynamic and space technologies, biotechnology and irrigation technology.
Meanwhile, during his tour of Israel, Premier Erdogan held meetings with Israeli deputy prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Shimon Peres as well as main opposition party Shinui leader Tommy Yosef Lapid.