Dutch Prime Minister hails Turkey's economic performance

The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from the Turkish and Dutch business circles held contacts in a round table meeting yesterday in Istanbul, which was also attended by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, Rutte praised Turkey on its economic performance over the past years. "Your country has become one the fastest growing economies in the world and to be frank I am a bit jealous. You have an amazing growth potential," Rutte said. Stating that Turkey is one of the most important trade and investment partners of his country, Rutte reiterated that the annual trade volume of the two countries surpassed $7 billion. "We have met with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These meetings were not only related with political issues. We have also talked about how we can boost commercial and economic relations between the two countries," Rutte added. For his part, Babacan said that this year was important, as the two countries celebrate the 400th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Babacan also said that the trade volume of the two countries was below their potential, adding that he expected direct investments from the Netherlands to surpass $16 billion by the end of year.