17.11.2017 Ankara
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, who spoke at the 23rd Executive Board Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECO CCI), called on ECO countries to come together more and to cooperate. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “As ECO countries, we will become the center of trade between Asia and Europe by making our trade routes transparent, safe and fast. All the energy and commerce corridors between Asia and Europe are passing through our region. We have important arable lands and tourism potential. There is no region like it elsewhere in the world.”
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO CCI) 23rd Executive Committee
Meeting was hosted by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu at the TOBB Twin
Towers and was attended by Minister of Customs and Trade Bülent Tüfenkci,
Development Minister Lütfi Elvan, ECO TSO and Federation of Pakistan Trade and
Industry Chambers Zubair Tufail Iranian Trade, Industries, Mines and
Agriculture Chamber President Gholamhossein Shafei and Deputy Secretary General
of the ECO Kanan Nazarov.
Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating that the ECO
region is the heart of Eurasia, said, “We are the bridge between the East and
the West, both economically and socially, so the development of these 10
countries is crucial not only for the region but also for the global economy.
We have been very happy with the economic development of the countries of the region
in the recent period and Turkey has also realized important achievements. With
all the difficulties in our region, in the last year we have increased private
sector employment by 1.5 million people and we are not satisfied with these
figures because we know that we can do much more as the region’s countries.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that the codes
of the global economy and politics have changed completely, “Almost all of the
economic and political developments affecting the world are shaped around the
ECO region. We have a terrific region that will determine the direction of the
economy. There is only one way: Grace and prosperity in unity; anguish in
dissent. We have to come together more and work together more.”
In his speech, Customs and Trade Minister
Bülent Tüfenkci said, “You can invest in the Product Specialization Stock
Exchange in Turkey, buy and sell products there, we want this commodity exchange
to be regional. In Iran we can establish a licensed warehouse in Pakistan to
ensure that the cereals and licensed warehouse products are sold on an international
platform.” Indicating that the trade between the ECO member countries does not
satisfy anybody, Tüfenkci said that the member states should act differently
now.
Development Minister Lütfi Elvan urged
completion of the necessary work to make the Economic Cooperation Organization
Trade Agreement (ECOTA) functional as soon as possible. “It is imperative that
the ECOTA enters into force immediately for both trade and investments.”
He noted that the ECO region has
tremendous opportunities to become a key regional player on the international
scene, stressing that this potential is rooted in ECO's geopolitical position,
historical background, members' ties, shared values, vast natural resources and
human capital.
Zubair Tufail, President of the Federation
of Economic Cooperation Organization Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECO CCI)
and Pakistan Trade and Industry Chambers, stated that countries should benefit
from each other's experiences in the development of ECO regional economy and
said “Turkey has made remarkable progress especially in the last 15 years. we
can achieve a similar development as member countries by examining how it
accomplished this.”
ECO Deputy Secretary General Kanan Nazarov
said that the ECO puts great importance on business cooperation with the belief
that an effective private sector plays a key role in the economic development
of the region and a represents huge gain for their countries.
Iranian Chamber of Commerce President
Golam Hussein Shafi said that developing countries' trade unions would increase
trade and open country economies to a competitive market.