Tuzmen: We will complete signing of FTA with Arab countries
TurkishPress.com
Tuzmen: We Will Complete Signing Of F.T.A. With Arab Countries
7 May 2005
ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Thursday, ’’we will complete signing of free trade agreement (FTA) with Arab countries in a vast area from Morocco to Syria in the next few years.’’
Making opening remarks of the Turkish-Arab Economy Forum in Istanbul, Tuzmen said, ’’one of Turkey’s political priorities is to form a free trade zone with each of all Arab countries under its strategy for neighboring and regional countries. In the last two years, we signed FTA with Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine and Syria. Talks are under way with Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. Also, we decided to start talks with Algeria and Sudan on such an agreement.’’
’’We will complete signing of FTA with Arab countries in a vast area from Morocco to Syria in the next few years. We open our markets to those countries immediately after agreements come into force. However, our products will enter their markets after a long period of transition. In other word, we will form a joint zone of prosperity with the Arab countries within the next 12 years,’’ he remarked.
Tuzmen highlighted importance of harmonization of customs regulations in the region to enhance cooperation.
He added that construction of a new railway which will provide continuous railway transportation from the Gulf countries to Europe via Iraq-Turkey corridor and modernization of Turkey-Syria-Iraq railway line were among their projects in near future.
(UK-MS)
