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Erdogan: Target to increase trade exchanges with Romania stays unchanged, 10 billion dollars
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, October 29, told a joint press conference with Romanian Premier Victor Ponta that the relations of Turkey with Romania in the strategic partnership and the NATO stayed excellent in various fields such as politics, economy, culture, defence and energy and emphasized the fact that the target of the Ankara Government to increase the volume of trade exchanges between the two states to 10 billion dollars stayed unchanged.
'We have an excellent cooperation in various fields, from politics to economy, from agriculture to culture, from energy to defence. Romania is one of the countries that gave powerful and unconditional support to Turkey in the process of joining the European Union. I would like here too to voice satisfaction for this support,' said the Turkish Premier at the end of the bilateral meeting he had with Romania's Prime Minister after the inauguration of the railway tunnel under the Bosporus.
The Head of the Ankara Government made it clear that, during the talks he held with Premier Ponta, they dealt with subjects related the energy cooperation, the question of the visa system for businessmen and solutions for developing and strengthening the common relations on bilateral and international platforms.
Erdogan mentioned the fact that, last year, the volume of the bilateral trade exchanges amounted to six billion dollars and the target of making 10 billion dollars, which he informed of in the context of the visit he paid to Bucharest in 2007, stayed unchanged. 'I would like to emphasize the fact that Romania is the main trade partner of Turkey in the Balkans. Last year, the volume of the trade exchanges had amounted to six billion dollars. On the other hand, about 7,000 Turkish companies work in Romania. All these data make us hope that the economic relations we have with Romania can develop much above the present level. ... Both sides have the political will necessary for making this come true,' said the Turkish Premier.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also emphasized the part played by the Turkish minority in Romania in having closer relations between the two states and mentioned the constructive attitude of the Bucharest authorities to minorities. 'At present in Romania there are 18 thousand Turkish citizens and about 75,000 ethnic Turks. They make up a human and cultural bridge between the two states, a friendship bridge between our countries,' said Erdogan.
Last but not least the Turkish Premier insisted on thanking his Romanian counterpart for the support given in getting a plot of land in Bucharest for building a mosque.