OREANDA-NEWS. October 06, 2010. The Agreement on cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RF CCI) and the Confederation of Turkey’s Entrepreneurs and Industrialists (TUSCON) has been signed at the Chamber.

The document was signed by the head of the RF CCI Evgeni Primakov and TUSCON president Ryzanur Meral.

Attending the signing ceremony were Boris Pastukhov, Senior RF CCI vice-president, Georgi Petrov, RF CCI vice-president and the heads of the Chamber’s departments. The Turkish side was represented, in particular, by TUSCON General Secretary Mustafa Gyunai and Trade Counsellor of the Embassy of the Turkish Republic in the Russian Federation Atilla Kyzylarslan.

The Agreement, RF CCI president Evgeni Primakov stressed, aims at boosting mutually advantageous cooperation of both countries’ business communities. Russian-Turkish relations have been developing successfully, especially in the economic area. In the 7 months of this year mutual trade turnover grew by 35% compared with the same period of 2009, the year of the crisis, reaching nearly USD 14 billion. At the meeting of the Russian and Turkish premiers a serious task of raising the level of the trade turnover up to USD 100 billion was set. According to some estimates, this goal can be reached in the foreseeable future. 

Turkish investments in Russia are also growing, having already reached USD 6 billion. Turkish companies working in Russia, are engaged in the areas of electronics, construction materials, manufacture of textiles, glass and so forth.

The RF CCI and the TUSCON maintain good relations, Evgeni Primakov noted, and the new Agreement is a serious stimulus for the joint movement forward.

In an answering speech TUSCON president Ryzanur Meral called Russia an important partner of Turkey’s. According to statistics, the economic collaboration of the two countries is developing actively. TUSCON’s president also emphasized that the Turkish companies are now extend their work in different Russia’s regions and the assistance of the RF CCI in this sphere will be very useful.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Turkey earlier this year marked a significant new stage in the development of bilateral relations. During the visit, TUSCON organised an economic forum attended by 65 Russian businessmen. Many of them signed advantageous contracts with their Turkish partners.

Ryzanur Meral noted that TUSCON plans to send to Russia groups of 15 to 20 businessmen for them to establish contacts, and is ready to welcome similar groups of Russian business people. “The region we live in and - in a broader context, the whole world,” Ryzanur Meral noted, “cannot do without cooperation with Russia.”

In conclusion the RF CCI head Evgeni Primakov and TUSCON president Ryzanur Meral answered journalists’ questions.