Astana, Ankara Plan to Increase Mutual Trade Turnover to $10Bln

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that the Kazakh-Turkish industrial zones would play an import role in increasing the trade turnover when constructed.

ASTANA (Sputnik) — Kazakhstan and Turkey are planning to increase trade turnover to $10 billion, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Friday after talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana.

The two leaders held a joint press conference following the meeting, during which Nazarbayev underlined the significance of the New Synergy joint program, adopted last year and aimed at promoting economic cooperation.

"Our goal is to increase the volume of mutual trade turnover to $10 billion. The program provides for implementation of 20 investment projects worth about $813 million," Nazarbayev told reporters as quoted in a statement published on his official website.

The Kazakh president stressed that the Kazakh-Turkish industrial zones would play an import role in increasing the trade turnover when constructed.

"Such steps will give impetus to further expansion of economic opportunities between the two countries," Nazarbayev added.

The Kazakh president is visiting Turkey at the invitation of Erdogan.