Ankara, Sept 30, IRNA -- A 500 strong Turkish trade delegation, led
by Turkish Foreign Trade and Customs Secretary Kurshad Tuzman left
Ankara for Tehran on Wednesday night to attend the opening ceremony
of International Tehran Trade Fair, and to hold dialogue with Iranian
officials and trade partners.
Tuzman, who is also the Turkish head of Iran-Turkey Joint Economic
Commission, told reporters at Ankara Airport before departing for
Tehran, "Turkey is the top participant at this years' Tehran
International Trade Fair."
He said, "Iran-Turkey trade and economic ties is currently growing
and 220 Turkish firms are participating at this year's exhibition."
Turkey's Trade Secretary added, "Thirty foreign countries are
taking part at this year's Tehran trade fair, and Turkey ranks first
among them in terms of the number of its participating companies."
He referred to the Iran-Europe infrastructure gas pipeline
project through Turkey's soil as "one of the joint projects that needs
to be financed and implemented in near future."
Tuzman and his accompanying delegation are expected to hold talks
with Iranian officials, particularly with the representatives and
heads of the country's private sector.
In latest available figures, the trade exchanges between Iran
and Turkey valued at 1.448 billion dollars for the first seven months
of 2004, showing a boost of over 11.75 percent compared to their value
during a similar period in the previous year.
The trade exchanges between the two countries valued at some 1.296
billion dollars during the same period in 2003.
According to a report by the Turkey's state Institute of
statistics released in August, Turkey exported 55.689 million dollars
worth of goods in January while it imported 178.464 million dollars
worth of goods from Iran.
The figures stood at 45.846 and 192.245 million dollars,
respectively, in January 2003.
Some 283.9 million dollars value of goods were exported to Iran by
Turkey during the first seven months of 2004 while 1.064 billion
dollars worth of goods were imported by Iran.
Turkey's exports to Iran reached 271.68 million dollars over the
same period. Iran's exports to Turkey, on the other hand, amounted to
1.024 billion dollars.
Iran accounted for 1.1 percent of Turkey's total exports while
accounting for 1.8 percent in Turkey's total imports.
Turkey's imports from Iran registered a 3.9 percent increase over
the same months compared to the figure in the previous year while its
exports to Iran reveal an increase of over 41.3 percent.
... Payvand News - 9/30/04 ... --
