ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey and Arab countries should rapidly implement joint projects in trade, energy and transportation which would assure sustainable development, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Thursday.
Taking the floor at the Turkish-Arab Economy Forum held in Turkish commercial hub of Istanbul, Tuzmen said that Arab countries had a particular place in Turkey's strategy towards neighboring and surrounding countries.
Tuzmen noted that Turkey earned 11.7 billion USD from exports to Arab countries last year and recalled that this figure was only 2.8 billion USD in 2000.
On the other hand, Tuzmen said imports by Turkey from Arab countries climbed from 4.5 to 7.6 billion USD in the mentioned years.
Tuzmen stated that the developments recorded in the first four months of this year indicated that the trade volume with Arab countries would reach 24 billion USD, and expressed willingness to increase this figure.
The most important project related with relations with Arab countries was to set up a joint welfare area where goods, capital and services could freely move among the regional countries, stressed Tuzmen.
(BRC-MS)
2005-05-05