By Dilara Zengin

ANKARA 

Turkey will continue to work to reach a $2 billion bilateral trade volume with Sudan, a prominent Turkish business leader said on Friday.

"Turkey's agricultural and industrial products are strong on world markets. I believe that Turkey's developed ecosystem will contribute more to Sudan with the [new] agreement,” said Oktay Ercan, head of the Turkey-Sudan Business Council of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), referring to a new bilateral pact signed this week.

"As the Turkey-Sudan Business Council, while organizing more events, and bringing together the business worlds of the two countries, we will continue to work to reach a $2 billion trade volume soon," he told Anadolu Agency.

On Wednesday Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci and Hatim el-Sir Ali, Sudan’s trade minister, signed an association agreement to boost trade.

Ercan said the agreement will promote joint investments by the two countries.

There are many cooperation opportunities for Turkey and Sudan in the fields of food, agriculture, livestock, infrastructure, energy, textiles, and tourism, he explained.

"Especially after our President's [Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s] visit [to Khartoum], Turkey carried out huge and strategic projects," he added.

Late December, Erdogan visited Khartoum and called for more Turkish investment in Sudan.

"Sudan’s development means Turkey's development," Ercan added.