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Belarus, Turkey eager to increase trade up to $1.5bn

ANKARA, 16 April (BelTA) – Belarus and Turkey intend to increase trade turnover up to $1.5 billion. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the relevant statement for mass media after negotiations in Ankara on 16 April, BelTA has learned.

The Turkey president reminded that in 2016 the countries set out to achieve a trade turnover of $1 billion. Belarus-Turkey trade was slightly off the target in 2018 – it amounted to $984 million. “We’ve decided to put more efforts into the matter and increase the trade turnover up to $1.5 billion. Turkey and Belarus have such a potential,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan was convinced.

Aleksandr Lukashenko agreed that the current trade level is below the potential of Belarus-Turkey relations. “When we were making the decision on $1 billion trade turnover, we accurately spelled out the figure. I didn’t think we would be able to reach this milestone so fast. Today we talk about $1.5 billion. I’ve promised to the president of Turkey that we will never have any closed topics in our relations including food trade or cooperation concerning the military-industrial complex. In this regard we are resolute to make serious and radical steps,” the Belarusian head of state underlined.

In the two years since the visit of the Turkey president to Belarus the mutual trade turnover increased by 20%. “It is a very good gain but the figures fail to live up to the potential of the two countries. We can, we should, and we will do much more than we did in these two years,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stated.

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