05.02.2018 İstanbul
TOBB President and Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, speaking at the Asia-Pacific information and publicity meeting for the Economic Summit stated that holding the summit in Turkey is quite significant during this time shifting global balances: “We want to show the Asia-Pacific business community Turkey's great potential. We aim to increase the trade and investments between us and to establish new partnerships and partnerships.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers
of Commerce and Industry has convened for the preparations of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Summit, scheduled to take place in Istanbul in November.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they will discuss the date, place, theme,
titles, program formations and speakers of the conference. “I would like to
thank Jemal Inaishvili, President of CACCI, Samir Modi, Deputy Director Ernest
Lin and all members of the CACCI Planning Committee; thank you for coming to my
country and honoring us.”
Pointing out that the Asia Pacific region's holds 40% of the world's
population and 23% of the world's economy, TOBB President said, “The Confederation
of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry is the largest business
community in the region. It represents about 3,000,000 companies in 28
countries. We want strong economic integration with businessmen from the
Asia-Pacific Region in Turkey. We take into account the growing importance of
the Asia-Pacific region for the global economy, and we are working to create
synergy for everyone.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that the level of economic relations in
regards to industry and trade between Turkey and the countries of the region is
not where it should be.
Reporting that percent share of the Asia-Pacific region of Turkey's
exports is only 7%, while imports stands at 24%, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “A
similar situation can be observed in investments. Between 2000-2017, Turkey drew
in $150bn in international investments. The share of Asia-Pacific countries in
that is just 5%, or $8bn.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that, as TOBB, they regard CACCI member as their strategic
partners: “Our vision is to provide strong and lasting economic integration
between the business world in the Asia-Pacific region and the Turkish business
community. Turkey became Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN)
sectoral dialogue partner in 2017.
Turkey hosting the CACCI Conference will bring together the umbrella
organizations and companies of the business communities of the Asia - Pacific
Region countries. This will increase the visibility of Turkey in ASEAN, and enabling
us to establish stronger economic relations with East Asian countries which we
previously had not been able to foster robust ties with.”
Explaining that CACCI organizes conferences every year, in a member
country, where both regional and global economic issues are discussed by representatives
of international organizations and business leaders, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that
the 25th CACCI Summit held in 2011 was hosted by TOBB in Istanbul with the
participation of over 400 business people and business organizations from 22
counties.
Stating that they are aiming for greater participation in Istanbul this
year, Hisarcıklıoğlu went on: “It is projected that the 21st century will be the
‘Pacific Century.’ The Mediterranean was the ocean of the ancient world.
Atlantic is the ocean of today. The Pacific looks to be the ocean of the
future. Economic developments show the shift of the center of gravity of the
world economy to Far East Asia. So we are entering the Pacific century. On the
one hand, there are innovation and technology giants like Japan and Korea. On
the other hand is Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, covering such
emerging markets and all kinds of products produced in different qualities and
scales in this region. With over 3bn consumers, the largest global market is here.
CACCI countries import goods and services around $5 trillion a year.
Economic growth is above the world average. The growth rate of this
region in the last 5 years is 6%. The growth expectation for 2018 and 2019 is
6.5%. The Asia Pacific region, therefore, has the power to determine the course
of the world economy.”
In this period of change in the world balance, during which holding the
Asia-Pacific Economic Summit in Turkey is quite significant, Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “Turkey, a country with a national income of $850bn, a goods exports of $160bn;
a country which exports $43bn of services. It is the country with the largest
industrial production capacity between Italy and China. It is a country that
aims to catch $1.1 trillion in national income by 2020. The 17th largest
economy in the world; 6th largest in Europe. The 6th largest supplier to the
European Union. We want to show Turkey's great potential to the Asia-Pacific
business community. We aim to increase the trade and investments between us and
to establish new partnerships and cooperation.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the Asia-Pacific Economic Summit will provide
an environment in which the region’s business world leaders and representatives
of international organizations will meet to create strategic partnerships with
new business and investment opportunities; which will bring the Turkish
business community together with the Asia-Pacific business world.
- “TOBB is one of our strongest,
most active members"
CACCI President Jemal Inaishvili stated that CACCI was established in
May 1966 and represents 28 countries, guiding the business world in order to
advance the regional business cooperation in the Asia Region.
Inaishvili stated that TOBB is one of its strongest and most active
members and went on:
“We represent almost the largest part of the world and this year we are
organizing the Asia-Pacific Economic Summit again in Istanbul. The CACCI Summit
is as a very effective tool in terms of exchanging ideas. Such matters as the
Asian economic crisis, trade liberalization, climate change, etc. will be
discussed. The 32nd CACCI Conference will be held this year in Istanbul for the
second time.
TOBB President and CACCI Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, CACCI
President Jemal Inaishvili, CACCI Vice President Samir Modi, CACCI General
Director Ernest Lin, TOBB Vice Chairman Ali Kopuz, TEPAV Director Prof. Dr.
Güven Sak and CACCI Planning Committee members attended the meeting.