ANKARA
Turkey-Algeria Joint Economic Committee (JEC) 10th Term Meeting took place at the Ministry of Economy in Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday.
The JEC meeting was attended by Turkish Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz and Algerian Energy and Mining Minister Youcef Yousfi.
Speaking at the meeting, Yilmaz stressed that JEC meetings contributed to the development of economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Algeria.
"With meetings as today's, brotherly ties between Turkey and Algeria get stronger," Yilmaz noted.
"It is our wish to see excellent political relations between Turkey and Algeria reflect on economic relations as well," Yilmaz stated.
"Friendly countries as Turkey and Algeria need to cooperate more. Our trade volume with Algeria was 1.4 billion USD in 2001 and it went up to 4.2 billion USD in 2011. We hope to raise our trade volume with Algeria to 5 billion USD in 2012," Yilmaz said.
Minister Yousfi, in his part, said that it was important for Turkey and Algeria to sign bilateral agreements.
"Turkey and Algeria had signed the 'Friendship and Cooperation Agreement' in 2006. Cooperation between the two countries got strengthened thanks to this agreement," Yousfi noted.
"I do hope that businesspeople willing to invest in Algeria will take advantage of positive opportunities," Yousfi also said.
Prior to the JEC's meeting, Minister Yilmaz and Algerian Energy and Mining Minister Youcef Yousfi held a tete-a-tete talk.
