Turkish President, Lebanese PM vow to enhance cooperation

Istanbul, Feb 2 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country intends to strengthen cooperation and solidarity with Lebanon in a wide range of fields.Erdogan's remarks came at a joint press conference on Tuesday with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Ankara, Xinhua news agency reported. The Turkish President noted that his country considers the Lebanese people's problems and achievements as its own, and is ready to lend support to the Lebanese government's reform efforts.The trade volume between Turkey and Lebanon increased by around 80 per cent worth $1.8 billion in 2021 despite the pandemic, he stressed."We discussed the steps that can be taken to boost that figure," Erdogan added, noting that Turkish companies are ready to undertake major infrastructure projects in Lebanon, including reconstruction of the Beirut Port."I believe that Turkish products are suitable and attractive for the Lebanese market in many aspects such as price, quality, and transportation costs," Erdogan added, noting that his country also wants to diversify the products it imports from Lebanon.According to Erdogan, Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines has been offering a 20 per cent discount on all Beirut-bound flights valid until the end of February to boost tourism activities.On his part, Mikati said bilateral ties would continue to expand on solid foundations.He noted that Turkey and Lebanon would take strong steps to improve relations in a wide range of fields, including political, economic, trade, and tourism.
--IANS int/sks

(Disclaimer: This post has been auto published from IANS news agency without any modification to the text and has not been reviewed by editor)