FE Report

A meeting of the Bangladesh-Turkey Joint Economic Cooperation (BTJEC) will be held in Ankara next month with an aim to boost the trade and investment relations between the two countries.

"We are going to hold the BTJEC meeting, scheduled for November in Ankara, where the whole range of trade, investment and economic issues will be discussed," a senior government official said.

The official further said Bangladesh wants to strengthen further its relations with Turkey, especially in the fields of merchandise trade and investment. Turkey's economy is the 6th largest in Europe and 16th in the world.

About the two countries' balance of trade, which is now in favour of Bangladesh, officials said there was a scope to further raise exports to Turkey.

According to official figures, Bangladesh currently exports products worth about US$ 450 million per annum to the country against the annual imports worth $ 67 million from there.

In recent government-level talks both Bangladesh and turkey had agreed to explore further the potential of mutual trade and investment, sources said.

Referring to Commerce Minister M Faruk Khan's recent visit to Turkey, sources said the minister had discussed some issues relating to bilateral trade and investment with high officials of the Turkish government.

Mr Faruk Khan in a bilateral meeting with Turkish foreign trade minister Zafer Caplayan on the sidelines of the Trade Ministers Summit in the Turkish capital had offered a special economic zone for Turkish investors.

Referring to the bilateral talks, officials said Turkey prefers direct air link between Dhaka and Istanbul to help boost the bilateral trade.