The Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, Dr Chris Cardona and the Minister for the Economy of Turkey, Nihat Zeybekci, signed an agreement on the creation of a Bilateral Commission between Malta and Turkey on Economy and Commerce. The agreement was signed in the city of Izmir where an international fair is currently being held.
Minister Cardona, who attended for the official inauguration of the fair upon the invitation of the Minister for the Economy of Turkey, the fair organizers and the Municipality of Izmir, said that the presence of Malta for this event testifies to the commitment to expand trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
Commercial relations between Malta and Turkey have expanded considerably in recent years. Several Turkish companies, active in a wide range of sectors including financial services, have established a presence in our country. Apart from this, as of May 2013, Turkish Airlines started operating direct flights between Istanbul and Malta three times a week, increasing to 13 flights a week as of June of this year.
"The Bilateral Commission between Malta and Turkey on Economy and Commerce will continue enhancing the possibilities for mutually-beneficial trade and investment relations between our two countries. This commission will help spread information so that more companies can get to know about the capabilities and opportunities available within our respective countries" stated Minister Cardona.
Minister Cardona hailed the work carried out by Malta Enterprise which led to the signing of this agreement as part of its strategy to increase bilateral trade and investment relations with Turkey.
Minister Cardona said that through this agreement a mechanism has been created under the Ministry of Economy of both countries, where representatives from both the public and private sector of Turkey and Malta meet twice a year to discuss any obstacles which are hampering commercial relations and to propose new initiatives for concrete projects between the two countries.
"The Turkish market is one of the world's most dynamic and attractive markets and Turkey EU accession negotiations are leading to significant opportunities for Maltese companies in a broad range of sectors" said Minister Cardona.
The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, Nancy Caruana, Malta's Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, Ambassador Fiona Formosa, Honorary Consul of Malta in Izmir, Turkey, Dr Ahmet Calik, Fiona Formosa and Malta Enterprise advisor, Philo Meli were present during the signing of the agreement.
In the meantime, discussions are already underway so that the first meeting of this bilateral commission will be held in Malta, in the near future.