Turkish President Abdullah Gul has attached importance to stability and security for economic prosperity and said leaders and policymakers have roles in ensuring that people enjoy fundamental rights and work for ameliorating their living standards.
“Our job is to try to achieve these goals,” he said addressing a breakfast meeting at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka yesterday.
The Turkish head of state, who had been in the capital on a two-day visit, led a delegation of more than 100 businessmen.
Strengthening bilateral trade ties to foster economic progress of Bangladesh and Turkey was his main focus.
“We have no problem in political issues between us and we hope to extend support each other in international platform on various issues,” President Gul said. "So, most of our issues concentrate on economic areas of cooperation.”
“Now time has come to consolidate this friendship, which will bring mutual benefit to the people of both the countries,” he said.
Gul is the first Turkish president who visited Dhaka in over a decade.
Stressing deeper trade and economic ties, he said Turkey looks forward to raising trade volume with Bangladesh to $1billion.
The bilateral trade rose to $409.14 million in fiscal year 2008-09 from below $100 million in 2003-04, with Bangladesh enjoying a trade balance, according to data compiled by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Presently, Bangladesh mainly exports jute yarn and twine, knitwear and woven garments to the Eurasian country and imports base metals, machinery and mechanical appliances and electrical equipment.
Gul pointed to the fact that Bangladesh has been registering 6 percent growth annually in the past couple of years and now targets to be a mid-income country within the shortest possible time.
“But many things need to de done for being a mid-income country,” he said, praising Dhaka's readymade garment-driven export growth as well as remittance earnings.
These resources are important in promoting prosperity of people, he told the meeting, organised jointly by FBCCI, Union Chambers and Commodities Exchanges of Turkey and Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey.
The economic development of Turkey, the sixth largest economy in Europe and 16th in the world, is driven by its private sector, Gul also pointed out.
“Some Turkish businessmen have investments here. I also call Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest in Turkey,” he said.
Suggesting direct flights between Dhaka and Istanbul, Gul hoped that such a direct air link would facilitate greater economic cooperation between the two nations.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith invited Turkish businesspeople to explore investment and business opportunities in Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh promises good market in a hospitable atmosphere, ” he said.
The minister said the government puts its best efforts in accelerating economic progress of Bangladesh, although the country now have problems in energy and power and transportation.
“These power and energy problems will be over in the next three years,” Muhith said, adding that the government is working on improving transportation system within the shortest possible time to help Bangladesh emerge as a transit and logistic hub in Asia.
Muhith also called upon the Turkish entrepreneurs to invest in shipbuilding and textile industry in Bangladesh.
Annisul Huq, FBCCI president, and M Rifat Hisarciklioglu, president of the Union Chambers and Commodities Exchanges of Turkey, also spoke.
Source: thedailystar.net
