Chinese President's Turkey Visit Expected to Be A SuccessTurkey is eagerly anticipating the upcoming state visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Reha Keskintepe, the charge d'affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Beijing said in a recent interview. "All the preparations have been carefully planned. I am confident that President Jiang's visit will be a crowning success," Reha Keskintepe said.Noting the "steadily improving relations" between the two countries due to exchanges of visits in the past few years, he said that Jiang's visit will be the culmination of these travels. "It will be a historical event, and will promote partnership and relations between the two countries in the 21st century," he said. The Turkish diplomat said that during Jiang's trip, the two presidents will exchange views on Sino-Turkish relations and matters of mutual interest, and a joint communique is expected to be signed. Meanwhile, a session of the Sino-Turkish joint economic and trade committee will also be convened, Keskintepe said. On bilateral trade and economic relations, he said, "We hope that President Jiang's visit will further stimulate economic cooperation, leading to mutually beneficial, balanced, diversified and growing trade and investment in both countries." Saying tourism and energy sectors show promise, he said the Turkish airline recently opened direct flights from Istanbul to Beijing three times a week, and a framework protocol of economic and technological cooperation in the energy sector was signed during a recent visit to China by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Cumhur Ersumer. "In the long run, we are trying to promote Chinese investment in Turkey, especially in railways and other infrastructural areas," he said, adding that Turkey is also trying to orient Turkish businesses toward the Chinese market by supplying them with the information they need to develop more partnerships and joint ventures. Turkey will be a member of the European Union in the near future, and enjoys the mutual exemption from taxation with other EU members, Keskintepe said. Similarly, China has made great progress in entering in the World Trade Organization and when it does, China will be more integrated with the global economy, thus bringing enormous potential for expanding bilateral economic and trade ties, he said. Referring to the solid foundation of Sino-Turkish relations, the diplomat said mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs are guiding principles of bilateral relations. "Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Turkey has adhered to the one-China policy," he said, adding that both countries oppose terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. Both countries' determination to prohibit illegal activities in their territories, including all forms of separatism and religious extremism, will be underscored in a joint communique to be signed during President Jiang's visit, he said. Turkish Minister of the Interior Saadettin Tantan visited Beijing in February, when a governmental agreement on cooperation in fighting against transnational crimes was signed, he said. "There is a high degree of cooperation between the two countries in opposing terrorism," Keskintepe said. |
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