Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Organized by TOBB/DEİK, the Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan Business Forum was held in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia with the attendances of the Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan, Azerbaijan Economy Minister Şahin Mustafayev and Georgia Economy Minister Vera Kobaliya.

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the three countries have the opportunity to seize the opportunity and prosper.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, emphasizing that Turkey will be one of the top 10 economies in the world by 2023, said, “We will import and export 500 billion Dollars’ worth. We can only do this with the countries around us. Come, let us prosper together. The USA conducts 30% of its total trade with 2 of its neighbors. China conducts 40% of its trade with its neighbors. The EU conducts 70% of its trade with its neighbors. Trade will always be profitable when done with neighbors. That is why all obstacles to trade must be abolished.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that in order for the people to prosper, trade must be increased.

Drawing attention to the fact that there is a free access with Georgia, he said, “We want to see the same concept enacted with Azerbaijan. Isn’t a brother welcome in his brother’s house? We are all brothers. As this is the case there should be no bars to our access.”

- Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan

Stating that they are working to make it possible to travel to Baku from Turkey with only an I.D. just like with Georgia, Çağlayan said, “We believe this and expect it. We’ve lifted visas with even Russia, to a total of 62 countries. We are unable to explain the procrastination to the solution of this problem, Brother Şahin.”

Stating that the trade between the three countries is insufficient, Çağlayan stated that all three ministers are working together to remove obstacles to trade.

Çağlayan stated that they to have the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway completed by the year 2014, connecting it at one point to Nakhchivan as well.

Çağlayan also thanked the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for his assistance in the release of the 3 Turkish citizens held captive in Somalia.

- Azerbaijan Economy Minister Şahin Mustafayev

The Azerbaijan Economy Minister Şahin Mustafayev reminded that Turkey and Azerbaijan are two nations of a single state.

Mustafayev, emphasizing that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project is very important for them, said, “Our relations in the field of transportation are at their highest. We want this railway to reach Nakhchivan in the future.”

Mustafayev stated that their government has called neighbor and friend countries to invest and have supported these investments.

- Georgia Economy Minister Vera Kobaliya

The Georgian Economy Minister Vera Kobaliya stated that there are good economic relations between the three countries and that the fact that the meeting hall is full is an indication of this.

Stating that despite the global economic crises, their economic relations have not been interrupted, Kobaliya said that the three countries have realized projects like Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and now the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

Afterwards the agreement for a coal thermal plant construction between MİMSAN and Georgia Industrial Group was signed with Minister Çağlayan witnessing. Çağlayan convened with Saakashvili afterwards.
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