22.12.2015 Ankara
During his speech at the business dinner held at the TOBB Twin Towers prior to the Economic Cooperation organization Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EİT TSO) 20th Executive Council Meeting and 14th General Assembly, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized the need for the region’s countries to increase cooperation and remove restrictions on trade.
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that the global economy is undergoing an
interesting period and said, “What we knew to be true turns has become false.
This may bring new opportunities. We are working for the prosperity and
development of the region.
Let’s not forget that our cooperation is not of great importance just
for this region but the future of the global economy as a whole.”
With a combined GNP of 2 trillion USD, ECO makes up about 25 of global
trade, reported Hisarcıklıoğlu and said, “We must work harder and move
together. The only way to reach prosperity is through removing restrictions to
trade. That we have become a center of commerce and industry this is because we
have removed restrictions to trade.”
Drawing attention to the ECOTA agreement which aims to facilitate trade
between ECO countries, Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed the need to have more countries
sign the agreement. The TOBB President urged businessmen to pressure
politicians to participate in ECOTA. Hisarcıklıoğlu also touched on the
restrictions posed by visas at the end of his speech and called for the lifting
of visas.
- ECO CCI Chair Adrees
ECCO CCI and Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Pakistan
Chairman Mian Muhammad Adrees stated that the region’s peoples have great
propensity for trade but that economic integration is lacking. Adrees stressed
the importance of moving in unison in order to find solutions to problems.
Emphasizing the importance of removing restrictions for entrepreneurs,
ECCO CCI and Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Pakistan
Chairman Mian Muhammad Adrees underlined the necessity of integration and added
that he foresees ECO becoming a much stronger power center in the future.