The total volume of Romanian-Turkish trade reached 10 billion US dollars in two consecutive years and that the objective is 15 billion US dollars, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a joint press conference held alongside prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, on a one-day official visit to Ankara.

The Turkish leader stressed that economic ties are the „locomotive” of bilateral relations.

Approximately 19,000 Turkish companies operating in Romania contribute significantly to this success and to the friendship between the two countries. Our companies’ investments in Romania approached USD 8 billion, including those in third countries. We focused on ways to increase our energy cooperation, Erdogan said.

During my mandate as Prime Minister, I brought our relations with Romania to the level of strategic partnership in 2011. Today, through the joint declaration I signed with the prime minister (Marcel Ciolacu, ed. n.), I ensured the establishment of the Turkey-Romania High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. I chaired the first chairmanship of this mechanism. Thus, we have taken a new historical turn in our relations, the Turkish president stressed.

President Erdogan went on saying that Turkey contributes to the security and stability of our region by carrying out joint activities with Romania, both bilaterally and under NATO aegis; the four F-16 warplanes, which served in Romanian airspace for four months, until the end of March, as part of the NATO air policing mission. We work together with Romania as two NATO allies bordering the Black Sea. As you know, we have set up the Countermeasures Task Force for drifting mines in the Black Sea with Bulgaria’s participation, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

He highlighted that Turkey will develop the relations with Romania and that the next meeting will take place in Bucharest, adding that he hopes that the decisions made at the meeting of Tuesday’s council and the agreements the sides have just signed will be beneficial for both countries. The next meeting will take place in Bucharest, he added, and thanked once again the Romanian prime minister and his delegation for their visit.

AGERPRES