Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 16
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey values its relations with Kazakhstan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a joint press conference with President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana, the Turkish TV channel TRT Haber reported Apr.16.
He said that in the next few years, Turkey and Kazakhstan intend to increase bilateral trade turnover up to $10 billion.
Erdogan also said that Kazakhstan and Turkey intend to implement joint economic projects in a number of other countries.
The president said that Ankara will support the candidacy of Astana at the election to the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, which will be held in 2016.
Erdogan said that a number of political issues was discussed during his meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, among which were the crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and the political crisis in Ukraine.
Ankara and Astana come out with a unified position on the settlement of military conflicts, according to the president.
He also said that Kazakhstan is one of the important partners of Turkey.
The state visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Kazakhstan began Apr.15. The visit will last until April 17. Erdogan is accompanied by a government delegation.
More than 1,800 Turkish companies operate in Kazakhstan, and this figure exceeds the number of other foreign companies operating in the country. The total cost of projects implemented by Turkish contractors in Kazakhstan is about $17.5 billion.
Over the last three years, the trade turnover between the two countries has doubled - from $2 billion to $4 billion, and this figure is projected to reach $10 billion within the framework of the program New Synergy, adopted by the heads of the two states.
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