Publicat pe 08/02/2019

Bucharest, February 8^th, 2019: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), in partnership with Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK) and the Turkish Business People’s Association (TIAD), organized on Friday, February 8^th, at CCIR Business Center headquarters, Romania-Turkey Business Forum.

The event took place in the margin of the official visit to Bucharest of H.E. Mrs. Ruhsar Pekan, Turkey’s Trade Minister, accompanied by a delegation of businessmen.

The Romania-Turkey Business Forum debated the potential of developing bilateral economic relations through governmental support and also by involving CCIR in building stable partnerships between Romanian and Turkish firms by capitalizing on the networking potential of the cameral system. Turkey is the first trading partner of Romania outside the EU, and the interest in developing bilateral trade relations is on the rise.

The President of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban highlighted the good cooperation with Turkey, which also extends at the level of Chambers of Commerce: “In cooperation with Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK) and the Association of Turkish Businessmen in Romania (TIAD), we are constantly developing projects to help business people in the two countries”. In this context, President Daraban recalled the President of Turkey official visit to the CCIR Business Center, at the 2015 Business Forum: “President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit has been a real success, providing a major boost to both bilateral exchanges and investment while being an incentive for Turkish businessmen”. Concerning bilateral relations Romania-Turkey, the President of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban said: “There is a rising dynamics of the number of Turkish capital companies in Romania. At the level of December 2018, we reached the figure of 15,433 companies with Turkish capital in Romania and 522 million Euros direct investments of Turkey in our country. Last but not least, I would like to recall the value of trade of 5.3 billion Euro. The goal, which we have set since the visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2015, is to bring the level of bilateral trade to 10 billion Euros. We are working to achieve this goal which is not at all unrealistic”.

Minister for the Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Environment of Romania, Mr. Radu Oprea said: “Strategic partner, the first commercial trading partner from outside UE, important investment partner – this is Romania’s relationship with Turkey. In short, a solid and complementary partnership based mainly on the inter-human relations, the absolute symbol of which is the interethnic cohabitation model of Dobrogea. (…) Bucharest has a permanent dialogue with representatives of the Turkish business environment. I am convinced that Romanian products will be assimilated to the Turkish market faster, especially those with high added value. I count on our dialogue as ministers responsible for foreign trade to mutually support the companies in our countries in multiplying businesses. (…) I know the interest of Turkish companies for Public-Private Partnerships launched by the Romanian Government. I assure you of our availability to provide information for application to them”.

Mrs. Ruhsar Pekkan, Turkey’s Trade Minister, said: “We are convinced that the political, economic and trade relations between Romania and Turkey have been positively influenced by the way people work. We need to establish how we can raise the level of this synergy and how to diversify it in other sectors of activity. I trust that, as a result of these meetings, bilateral economic and trade relations will evolve. (…). In the Balkans, Romania is Turkey’s first trading partner at trade and investment level. With your help, businessmen, we can increase the level of trade to the target of 10 billion Euros”.

Vice President of the Council for Foreign Economic Relations of Turkey (DEIK), Mr. Mithat Yenigün underlined the evolution of the two-state cooperation relations in the last 30, placing our country in a very important position in the hierarchy of Turkey’s economic partners: “Romania is a strategic partner for Turkey not only in terms of economy, but also from a social and political point of view”.

During the event took place the ceremony for signing the Procedure of the Joint Commission for Economic and Trade Cooperation between the Ministry for the Business, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Environment of Romania and the Ministry of Commerce of Turkey took place.

At the same time, the Romania-Turkey Business Forum was the host of presentation sessions – Investment Opportunities in Romania, The Romanian Companies Experience in Turkey and the Experience of Turkish Companies in Romania, followed by B2B meetings.

Background

In 2017 Turkey continued to be the first trading partner of Romania outside the EU and the 5^th partner in the total international trade of Romania, respectively the 6^th export partner and the 9^th importing partner. Romania is one of Turkey’s major trading partners, ranking 15^th on export and 17^th on import.

According to the information provided by the ONRC, on December 2018, Turkey is ranked 16^th among the top 50 by country of residence of investors with foreign participation in the share capital. At present, according to the data provided by ONRC, a number of 15,433 companies with Turkish capital are active in Romania.