29.01.2021 Ankara
Turkey - Albanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Forum 1st Economic Conference was held via video conference with the participation of M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Anila Denaj, Turkish Ambassador to Tirana Murat Ahmet Yörük, Albanian Ambassador to Ankara Kastriot Robo and Ines Mucostepa, President of the Union of Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that
there are strong friendship and brotherhood ties between Turkey and Albania,
adding, “Bilateral political relations have been increased to the level of
strategic partnership. Our economic relations further strengthen our ties from
history.”
Noting that Albania offers serious business
opportunities with its geographical location and European Union accession
process, Hisarcıklıoğlu said they support Albania's accession process with the
European Union and hope that accession talks be launched as soon as possible.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that he believes this
process will bring serious economic transformation and development, “The free
trade agreement between our countries has provided a favorable environment for
our mutual trade. Our trade has increased by folds in the last decade. We also
believe that it is possible to increase our trade from half a billion dollars
to $2 billion. That's what we're working for. Our businesspeople have invested
heavily in Albania, believing in the Albanian economy and Albania’s bright
future. Our investments in areas such as banking, telecoms, finance, energy,
mining, iron and steel and agricultural production will increase to cover
different areas.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu said TOBB and the Union of
Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry are working closely to strengthen
the economic dimension of relations and have established the Turkey-Albania
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Forum.
Stating that they want to support
businesspeople who want to contribute to bilateral relations through trade and
investments, Hisarcıklıoğlu invited all participating companies to become
members of the Turkey-Albania Dual Chamber and asked them to benefit from the
services.
Reminding that they are working together with
the Union of Chambers of Albania and EUOCHAMBRES and the Balkan Chambers
Association, the TOBB President said, “I believe that with the support of
Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Anila Denaj, the Union of Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of Albania will become stronger. The A stronger Chamber will
be an important support for investors for the development of the private sector
and a more investor-friendly business environment. After meetings with Anila
Denaj, Minister of Finance and Economy of Albania in Tirana in December 2019
and Ankara in January 2020, we received a serious improvement signal in this
direction. On the Minister's orders, my friend Ines Mucestepa and I met a
delegation from Albania last year. We conveyed our experience in Chamber
system, customs gate modernization and organized industrial zones in
Turkey. After the pandemic, I believe
that contacts in this direction will intensify.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu thanked Trade Minister Ruhsar
Pekcan and Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy Anila Denaj, saying,
“Ministers; your participation in this business forum has honored and
encouraged businesspeople from Turkey and Albania who participated in our
business forum.”
- Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan
Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said Albanian
Prime Minister Edi Rama's official visit to Turkey on January 6th and
7th made it very important that the Business and Investment Forum
between the two countries be held. Pekcan recalled that the declaration to
increase relations between the two countries to the strategic level was also
signed between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Rama.
Noting that Turkey's economy has exhibited
significant signs of normalization since mid-2020, especially in the last
quarter, Pekcan said that with exports of $51.2 billion, the highest quarterly
export figure to date was achieved in the last quarter, and the capacity
utilization rate increased to 75.6 as of January 2021.
Pekcan emphasized the importance of having $6.1
billion dollars input in the January-November period of 2020 despite the
outbreak in terms of direct investments, noting that the Manufacturing Sector
(PMI) Index rose again last month, above the 50 level.
Pekcan said that trade volume between Turkey
and Albania has gradually increased over the years to the level of “half a
billion dollars”, and that the Free Trade Agreement, which has been in place
since 2008, is important for the development of trade relations.
Pekcan said she believes Forum founded last
year between the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and
the Union of Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry will give significant
impetus to relations, adding that in this sense, significant responsibility has
fallen on the Turkey-Albania Business Council.
Pekcan expressed her belief that bilateral
trade and economic relations would be moved to much more advanced levels thanks
to the visions and support of the heads of state, and thanked Albanian Finance
and Economy Minister Anila Denaj, the Albanian government, ambassadors, TOBB
and the Union of Chambers of Albania for contributing to the forum.
- Albanian Minister of Finance and Economy
Denaj
Albanian Finance and Economy Minister Anila
Denaj said Turkey was one of the first countries to support Albania after the
2019 earthquake and had made a hospital in the city of Fier, adding: “Turkey is
one of Albania's most important strategic partners in the region and in the
wider geography.”
Referring to relations between Turkey and
Albania, Denaj said, “Turkey has shown that it is a friendly country. It is a
country that was with us in the most difficult moments. They sent search and
rescue teams from the first moments of the earthquake in November 2019. Not
only that, they showed support in all areas. Fier Regional Hospital, which was built
with Turkey's support, will be completed shortly.”
Denaj thanked Turkey for its support of
Albania, saying, “Turkey is one of Albania's most important strategic partners
in the region and in the wider geography. What I just said is proof of this.”
Stressing that bilateral relations continue to
develop in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic, Denaj recalled Albanian Prime
Minister Edi Rama's visit to Turkey, saying, “The declarations signed to
implement the issues agreed upon by our governments and institutions provide
the opportunity to open a new page in relations between the two countries.”
Denaj also touched on the cooperation and
investment efforts of the investors of the two countries, saying, “We do our
best to facilitate the work of Turkish investors. Both governments have
contributed to this matter. Cooperation in many areas such as tourism and
infrastructure is increasing. At the same time, we want to improve our
cooperation in many areas such as innovation, which is very important in the
age of digitalization.”
Stressing that the meeting is important for improving
commerce and commerce chambers in Albania, Denaj said, “Sharing experiences is
very important for us and for the development of our relations. We are working
to implement the best experiences.”
- Other speakers
Ines Mucostepa, President of the Union of
Albanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said bilateral trade relations have
reached 8.2% in 2020, while a total of 594 Turkish companies are registered and
active in Albania.
Mucostepa invited Turkish companies to invest
directly in strategic sectors such as transportation, infrastructure and
agriculture, energy, starting with tourism. Mucostepa stated that they encourage
economic development between the two countries and are undertaking projects to
improve cooperation.
Turkish Ambassador to Tirana Murat Ahmet Yörük noted
that this is the first event to bring together the political and business
worlds and economic experts of the two countries they have been working on for
a long time. The main aim of the conference, he said, is to open new window of
opportunity and offer a concrete perspective to the business worlds of the two
countries.
Ambassador Yörük emphasized that, while the
world economies are going through a very difficult period, political and
economic relations between Turkey and Albania are at their most fruitful.
Albanian Ambassador to Ankara Kastriot Robo
said organizing this conference is very important for the two countries.
Stressing that Turkey and Albania have great potential in trade and economic
fields, Robo said Turkish investments in Albania are very important and will
create more opportunities for increased economic cooperation between the two
countries.