Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) President Nail Olpak said, “In the current year, our mutual trade volume with Moldova increased and left behind approximately 500 million dollars. However, I do not find this sufficient for two friendly countries with a free trade agreement. We should increase our mutual trade volume.”
The first of the new online meeting series “DEİK Interconnected Business Series” organized by DEİK for business and investment opportunities and sectoral business meetings with stakeholder organizations of business councils was held with Moldova.
The meeting was attended by Halil Gürol Sökmensüer, Ambassador of Turkey to Chisinau, Dmitri Croitor, Ambassador of Moldova to Ankara, DEİK President Nail Olpak and Sergiu Harea, President of Moldova Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, DEIK President Olpak stated that they have been organizing international meetings with video conferencing method as of March 20, and stated that it is pleasing to talk about issues aimed at developing trade between countries instead of problems caused by the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) in recent days.
Stating that Moldova offers incentives to investors of all scales in its free economic zones, Olpak said that there are many opportunities for Turkish business people to operate in the fields of textile, agriculture, food processing and packaging, and construction in Moldova.
Olpak said, “In the current year, our mutual trade volume with Moldova increased and exceeded approximately 500 million dollars. However, I do not find this sufficient for two friendly countries with a free trade agreement. We must increase our mutual trade volume. We will work harder. Such meetings already serve this purpose.”
“Turkish contractors do quality and timely work”
Nail Olpak noted the following regarding the further strengthening of economic relations between Turkey and Moldova:
“The most common problem faced by our business world in trade with Moldova is the practices regarding the revaluation of our products by the Moldovan Customs Administration during the import of products originating in our country to Moldova. For this reason, the entry costs of products originating in our country to the Moldovan market increase significantly and the import process of our products is prolonged. Ending this practice as soon as possible is of great importance for our two countries’ cooperation.
The projects financed by the resources of Western countries and international organizations for the improvement of infrastructure offer opportunities for Turkish contracting/technical consultancy companies. Turkish contractor companies have a high reputation and reliability in doing quality and timely work in the projects they realize in Moldova.”
Olpak emphasized that investment opportunities in the field of energy constitute a potential for cooperation between the companies of the two countries in order to reduce Moldova’s external dependence on energy and to diversify the types of energy used and the source countries from which they are supplied.
Stating that it is possible for Turkish companies to take part in the projects prepared for the renewal of Moldovan highways and to meet the infrastructure needs of the cities within the framework of roads and other municipal services, Olpak said that more cooperation can be made within this framework.
The meeting ended with bilateral business meetings after the presentations.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/deik-baskani-olpak-moldova-ile-ticaret-hacmimizi-artirmaliyiz/1881847
