EAC-Turkey free trade zone talks next month
New Vision, Uganda
EAC-Turkey free trade zone talks next month
11 August 2010
By business writer
Turkey and the East African Community will start negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement and a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement next month, the East African Business Council has announced.
The announcement comes at a time when a team of leading businessmen and investors from Turkey are scheduled to visit East Africa between September 28 and 30, to explore investment opportunities at the EAC-Turkey Business Forum to be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The business forum themed: “Connect to East Africa: the heart of business opportunities” targets to conclude 15 joint ventures between the Turkish delegations and EAC.
“It will encourage Turkish businessmen and investors to explore possibilities of investments in the EAC countries,” said Agatha Nderitu, the executive director of East African Business Council.
The forum, which will also run an international exhibition, is expected to attract 300 participants from EAC and Turkey drawn from specific sectors such as textiles and clothing, agro-processing, construction and real estate, infrastructure, mining and natural resources and tourism.
The Business Forum is organised by the East African Business Council together with the Turkish embassy in Tanzania.
Turkey lately established embassies in Dar es Salaam and Kampala, while the Turkish president, Abdullah Gul, visited Kenya and Tanzania in February 2009.
“All these developments reflect the momentum gained in the EAC-Turkish relations and that the Republic of Turkey supports the successful integration process of the EAC countries,” read a statement.
