Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Russia

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit to Russia

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan visited Yevgeni Primakov, the Chairman of Russian Federation Chambers of Commerce and Industry, on 12 January during his visit to Russia. Having emphasized the importance given to improving the commercial and economic relations between the two countries, the prime minister said during the discussions held between the committees that Russia became the biggest second economic partner of Turkey and Turkey became one of the important economic partners of Russia. The minister also stated the trade volume between the two companies increased approximately 60% in 2004, compared to 2003 and raising the figure to 15 billion dollar was aimed at by diversifying the traded goods, overcoming some transportation problems and with the increase of mutual investments. Erdogan said, increasing the trade volume between Russia and Turkey up to 25 billion dollars until 2007 was aimed through the liberalization of the trade of goods and services between the two countries and removing the barriers apart from the tariff. Erdogan also mentioned the possibility of cooperation in Eurasia region on many branches mainly; transportation, defense industry, tourism, food, textile and banking, and the potential cooperation between Turkish and Russian private sectors in the reconstruction of Iraq.