Turkey and Tatarstan join forces

Turkey-Tatarstan Trade and Investment Forum organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) brought together some 500 Turkish businessmen and 40 Tatar firms yesterday in Istanbul. as part of the forum, Tatar President Rustem Minnikhanov met Turkey's Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan. Speaking at the event, Minnikhanov said Tatarstan maintained its position as a gateway to Russian markets for Turkish entrepreneurs. "We are committed to providing Turkish investors with the necessary incentives in Tatarstan; new companies are welcome in our country," Minnikhanov noted. For his part, Caglayan said they had agreed with Tatar authorities to promote mutual investment particularly in relation to automobiles, energy, petrochemicals and information technologies. "These were the fields of investments which we had earlier defined as the most profitable given the economic dynamics of Turkey and Tatarstan," Caglayan explained. Furthermore, the Turkish Airlines (THY) and Tatar Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during Thursday's meeting. A goodwill agreement was also signed by Turkey and Tatarstan in order to strengthen ties between the two countries.