Doha, 02 Oct. 2023 (QT)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

TURKIYE Trade Minister Omer Bolat has said that his country attaches great importance to enhancing bilateral trade relations and economic cooperation with Qatar. Addressing a press conference at Hotel Ritz Carlton on Monday, Omer Bolat said he is confident that Qatar, just like it did during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will successfully host the Expo 2023 Doha.

The Turkish minister arrived in Qatar along with a 150-member delegation to participate in the opening ceremony of Expo 2023 Doha. He said that horticulture expos, which have been held since the mid19th century, are world exhibitions that bring countries together on a common global platform, contributing to international cooperation and communication. Expos go beyond commercial promotion and make a significant contribution to global socio-cultural development through the sharing of ideas, cultural richness, projects, and scientific and cultural experiences.

He said Turkiye has been participating in Expos held since 1851, with 37 participations in total (17 during the Ottoman period and 20 during the Republican era). First expo was hosted by Turkiye in Antalya in 2016. He said that Türkiye takes pride in being a leading actor in technology, economy, and trade, especially in the last 20 years, and “we believe that participating in Expos is an effective means to showcase our political and economic achievements.”

Talking about trade relations between the two countries, Bolat said both the countries are continuing efforts to further advance the bilateral trade volume, which reached $2,3 billion in 2022. He said that Qatari companies’ investments in Türkiye since 2002 amounts to $9,9 billion, demonstrate the importance of investment relations between our countries.

The minister said that he was hopeful that next Supreme Strategic Committee meeting between the countries on December 4 this year will boost further trade and investment relations.