Erdogan Participates In The Turkish - Russian Business Council Meeting

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Russia is a country that Turkey attaches great importance to its friendship. Erdogan met today the Chairman of the Russian Federation Confederation of Trade & Industry Chambers Yevgeni Primakov. ''The trade volume between Turkey and Russia developed significantly in the recent past. Russia is now Turkey's second biggest trade partner,'' said Erdogan. ''We will continue to work together and increase mutual investments. We will try to reach a balance in our trade with Russia,'' indicated Erdogan. Erdogan also indicated that the trade volume between Turkey and Russia will reach 25 billion U.S. dollars in 2007. ''We plan to increase the total volume to 30 billion U.S. dollars. Businessmen on both sides have a lot of work to do to reach such a target,'' told Erdogan. According to Erdogan, Turkish investments in Russia are worth over 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. ''We can cooperate with our Russian friends in areas such as energy, transportation, defense, tourism, food, textiles and banking. Turkish and Russian companies can form joint ventures to help re-build Iraq,'' expressed Erdogan. In a speech delivered, the Russian Federation Industry & Energy Minister Viktor Borisovich Khristenko has said that sending a Turkish-Russian joint satellite to space would be important in opening a new page in mutual relations. Upon the completion of the speeches, trade agreements were signed between the Chairman of the Russian Federation Confederation of Trade & Industry Chambers Yevgeni Primakov and the Chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Rifat Hisarciklioglu, as well as between Turkish-Russian Business Council Chairmen Alexander Lebedev and Turgut Gur.