Brazil and Turkey determined to deepen ties and economic cooperation

President Abdullah Gül welcomed Brazil’s first female president, Dilma Rousseff, with an official ceremony at the Çankaya presidential palace on Friday. Turkey and Brazil have solidified their cooperation on a wide array of areas, particularly on economic partnership, agreeing to increase efforts to benefit from opportunities that will further advance the world’s two most powerful emerging economic powerhouses on the world stage. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff told a news conference on Friday in Ankara that both Brazil and Turkey are similar countries in various areas and could benefit their countries in many ways through bilateral cooperation that the countries agreed to step up.

Rousseff said Brazil is an emerging democratic nation with expanding foreign policy in the region, supporting advancement of democracy and human rights in its vicinity and beyond. According to the Brazilian president, her country wants integration in South America and South America’s largest nation is trying to expand its ties with countries in all continents. She added that some of the countries Brazil built relations with in the past few years also have borders with Turkey.

The Brazilian president reiterated that Turkey and Brazil are democratic and multinational countries, and the two most powerful emerging nations, adding that the two countries have also expanded their influence in Africa, cultivated relations and cooperation with African countries and sent large amounts of humanitarian aid to Africa.

Rousseff also expressed concerns over deepening economic crisis in Europe and hoped Europe would recover from the economic meltdown that weakened one of the world’s most powerful economies and hoped that European countries would resume economic growth soon.

The Brazilian president also spoke about the Arab Spring and condemned “closed societies” and regimes’ use of violence against their own people to crush dissent.

She said the two countries share economic profiles that provide new opportunities to increase commercial ties between the countries, recalling that the trade volume between the two is $2 billion. Noting that the volume is modest and there is much room and potential to boost it, Rousseff said visits and meetings between Brazil and Turkey are very important steps in economic growth and that these ties must also continue in private sectors. She urged both Turkish and Brazilian businessmen to start work and invest in both countries, adding that Brazil will promote these activities.

“We will promote Turkish businessmen in Brazil and Brazilian businessmen in Turkey, stressing that the two countries will step up their efforts in cooperation. We criticize states being closed to the world. The physical distance between Brazil and Turkey was reduced through direct flights, providing opportunities for the two countries to advance their commercial ties.”

Earlier on Friday, Rousseff said in Ankara that the economic crises offered an opportunity for Turkey and Brazil to further foster bilateral trade, considering the current performance of the two countries.

She was speaking on the sidelines of a Turkey-Brazil Business Forum organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in Ankara. “Turkey and Brazil could boost their current business and trade relations and work to find ways to surmount economic crises with the least wounds possible,” she stated.

Turkey and Brazil were two of the few countries that maintained high growth despite the 2008 global financial crisis, Rousseff added.
Noting that the industrial products of Turkey and Brazil were complementary, the Brazilian president noted that bilateral trade between the two countries increased in the first half of 2011. Bilateral trade volume between the two countries increased to $1.8 billion last year from $665 million in 2005. She said Brazil could open a door to Latin American markets for Turkish businessmen, and similarly Turkey could open a door to Europe, Asia and the Middle East for Brazilian businessmen.

Rousseff said Turkey and Brazil needed to implement reformist economic policies to maintain long-term growth stability. The president defined the upcoming World Cup 2014 and Summer Olympic Games 2016 — to be hosted by Brazil — as significant construction and tourism opportunities for Turkish businessmen, adding that the two countries could also cooperate in energy. Rousseff said Brazil could share experiences in biodiesel with Turkey.

Also addressing the audience at Friday’s forum, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan called on Turkish entrepreneurs to enter the Brazilian market to branch out into other countries in the region. “We have already reached the level of bilateral trade with Brazil last year in the first eight months of this year. We have faith that our total bilateral trade volume will exceed $3 billion in the next few years,” he explained.

TUSKON Chairman Rızanur Meral joined Çağlayan in his remarks, reiterating that Brazil was one of the most attractive investment venues for Turkish firms with its population of 203 million and high business potential.
Rousseff met with President Abdullah Gül at the presidential residence in Ankara later on Friday.

07 October 2011
SOURCE: TODAY’S ZAMAN