Turkish FM to sign economic accord with GCC during Bahrain visit

MANAMA - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Gulf officials will sign a framework economic cooperation agreement that will pave the way for a free trade pact during a meeting in Manama Monday, officials said.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general Abdulrahman al-Attiyah said he would ink the agreement with Gul, who arrived here late Sunday, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, according to a statement released at GCC headquarters in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Bahrain currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the oil-rich GCC, which also includes Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Attiyah also flew to Manama on Sunday ahead of the signing, the GCC statement said.
The framework economic cooperation agreement "will pave the way for negotiations on setting up a free trade zone between the GCC states and Turkey," it quoted Attiyah as saying.
The official Bahrain News Agency said earlier that Gul's talks in Manama would focus on ways of boosting economic, trade and investment links with Bahrain.
A framework accord conducive to a free trade deal between Ankara and the Gulf bloc will also be inked during his official visit here, it said.

05/29/2005 23:38 GMT