[ecr]
Zitouni was speaking at the opening of the Algeria-Turkey Business Forum, which he co-chaired with his Turkish counterpart Omer Bolat, with the participation of 300 Algerian businessmen from the public and private sectors and over 200 Turkish businessmen and company directors.
The minister urged Algerian and Turkish businessmen to expand bilateral cooperation to "promising productive sectors, such as agriculture, food and processing products, mechanical products and household appliances, plastics and packaging industries, products integrated into global value chains, as well as the tourism and services sector.”
He explained that "trade does not reflect the strong political relationship between the two brotherly countries, so we are working to increase it from around US$7 billion currently to US$10 billion, in line with the guidelines of the two countries' presidents,” he said.
Zitouni stated that "Algeria has strong productive capacities,” recalling that its exports to Turkey hit US$3.6 billion in 2023, while imports from this country were close to US$2.5 billion.
The Minister also highlighted the quality of Turkey’s investments in Algeria, characterized by "their capacity to create wealth and generate high added value.”
Praising the "spirit of commitment" shown by economic operators and institutions in both countries, as well as their willingness to attend regular meetings, the same official invited the Turkish side to seize the opportunity to access African markets under partnerships with Algerian operators and particularly through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
For his part, the Turkish Trade Minister hailed the strong relations between the two countries, stressing the willingness of both parties to foster cooperation and increase the volume of trade.
“I am convinced the two countries can achieve US$10 billion in trade next year. Algeria is Turkey's second largest partner in Africa, and one of the countries with the highest levels of Turkish investment,” he affirmed.
Bolat also expressed his country's "deep gratitude" for being guest of honor at the 55th Algiers International Fair (FIA).[/ecr]