TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONS between Barbados and Turkey are in line for a boost.
This follows last week’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) and the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey.
The MOU was spearheaded by BCCI president Eddy Abed and honorary consul of Barbados in Istanbul, Tolga Eken.
The MOU was facilitated through the help and support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. The ministry received Eken and made the meeting and agreement signing possible.
Eken was here last week for a series of consultations with Government officials and he was also keen to meet with the private sector. He was accompanied on this business trip by Ayut Eken, a distinguished businessman in Turkey who leads the very successful Beta International Group of Companies.
The Beta Group is a consortium with a diversified portfolio that includes home textile furnishings, and general trading activities. The company was established in Brussels in 1979 and since then has amassed several satellite offices in Belgium and Turkey.
Officials said the importance of trade and investment relations for the growth and prosperity of Turkey and Barbados, respectively, had been recognised and under the MOU both organisations had agreed to encourage their private sectors to trade with and invest in each other’s market.
This activity would be facilitated by both bodies through a wide range of initiatives that included information dissemination, promotional events and, above all, networking activities to promote understanding, contacts and partnerships between private sector companies.
BCCI officials said they looked forward to a mutually beneficial partnership and envisioned increased opportunities for its members to capitalise on.
Barbados and Turkey established diplomatic relations in September 1972 and Turkey first accredited an ambassador to Barbados on February 19, 1973. (SC/PR)
