NEWS
Slovenia and Turkey look to explore political and economic cooperation
At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accompanied by a sizeable government delegation comprising seven Turkish ministers, is today paying an official visit to Slovenia. In a joint statement to the press, the Slovenian Prime Minister welcomed today's meeting in light of the symbolic marking of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He said that today's meeting will strengthen mutual cooperation in the political, economic and other spheres.
In his statement to the press, the Slovenian Prime Minister pointed out that Turkey has achieved 9% economic growth over the last thee years, which is outstanding given the global economic situation. Therefore, the talks between the Slovenian and Turkish governments mainly centred on fostering economic relations, which form part of the implementation of the cooperation agreement signed in 2011, and the building of a strategic partnership in the region.
The Slovenian Prime Minister further stated that talks between the governments of the two countries show that both sides recognise the untapped potentials that exist, adding that last year almost half a billion euros of trade in goods and services were recorded, the trade exchange was very balanced and, despite the crisis, showed growth of around 10%. He also touched on the recent EUR 4 million invested by the Turkish company, Miador, which has become the majority owner of the Otiški vrh timber factory, thereby facilitating the company with over 200 employees more successful business in the future.
The Slovenian Prime Minister also pointed out that there are ample opportunities for Slovenian companies in Turkey, especially in the areas of construction, the supply of medical equipment and products, the production of household appliances, electronics, energy, new technologies, the construction and restoration of infrastructure, the supply of environmental protection equipment, logistics, information and communication technologies, and e-government. "All possible forms of economic cooperation will be examined and identified by the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic and Trade Cooperation at its meeting in Ljubljana this autumn," he announced.
The Slovenian Prime Minister also welcomed the humanitarian efforts made by Turkey in relation to Syria, and regarded Turkey as a stabilising factor in the region. He also sees Turkey as an ally to participate in specific operations within the framework of NATO. The Prime Minister also stressed that Slovenia will support Turkey's negotiations for EU accession, pointing out that this support "is not only the Slovenian government's position, but also the majority position of the Slovenian public, which is the most supportive out of all the European countries."
The two presidents pledged that they would promote trade and investment between entrepreneurs and national support institutions. The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, highlighted Turkey's interest in cooperating with Slovenia in aviation and railway infrastructure.