Bangladesh, Turkey agree to boost trade to $3b by 2015

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Bangladesh and Turkey Sunday renewed pledges to work closely in different international fora to maintain world peace and security as well as combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, reports BSS.
During a bilateral meeting with the visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday, the Bangladesh Prime Minister also sought Turkish support to Bangladesh's candidature as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2016- 2017.
Making a statement after the official talks at her office in the city Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the meeting took place in a cordial manner that covered entire gamut of bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries.
On the outcome of the talks, Sheikh Hasina said both Bangladesh and Turkey agreed to increase bilateral trade volume to at least three billion dollars by 2015.
Mentioning Bangladesh's existing congenial business atmosphere, she called upon Erdogan to encourage Turkish investors to invest in Bangladesh's various sectors like infrastructure, energy, river dredging, ICT, tourism, textile and agro-based industries.
Sheikh Hasina told Erdogan that Bangladesh is a good destination for relocating Turkish RMG (ready-made garment) factories and other industries to make their exportable products more competitive in world market.
About promoting bilateral trade, she sought initiatives from Turkey to facilitate banking transactions and easing of different barriers for expansion of Bangladeshi exports to its market.
During the meeting, the Bangladesh Prime Minister requested her Turkish counterpart to accept European Union GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) instead of Turkish GMP in giving access to Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals to Turkish market.
"I can assure you that our pharmaceuticals products are among the best in the world with exports to 73 countries including the European Union," she said and hoped that Turkey would waive this demand and instead accept the EU GMP certificate.
The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the existing cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkey in various sectors, including defense, education and health would continue to grow in strength in the future.
Referring to the opening of Turkish Airlines flights next month, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that it would help increase interaction between Bangladesh and Turkey and facilitate trade between the two countries.
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told journalists that during the talks, the Turkish Prime Minister invited Sheikh Hasina to his country soon. The Bangladesh Prime Minister accepted the invitation saying that she will visit Turkey in a convenient time.
Later in his statement, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his country's support to Bangladesh so that it can turn into a middle-income country by 2021.