Turkey, Georgia eye more border trade
Georgian president greets Turkey's support to Georgian economy and territorial integrity.
World Bulletin / News Desk
Turkey and Georgia will introduce a system to speed up border trade at the Turkish Black Sea city of Sarp, making Georgia a primary central Asian port for Turkey and the rest of the Europe, said Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday.
In a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili, Gul said Turkish and Georgian officials have discussed enabling international traders to submit their documents at a single location (single window system).
"Hopefully we will start single window system at Sarp border gate and we will increase Turkey and Europe's bond with Central Asia through Caucasus," said Gul.
Gul also mentioned energy and transportation ties between Turkey and Georgia, saying that 80 per cent of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway system -- a regional railway project that would link Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey -- has been completed.
"All of this shows how strong relations between Turkey and Georgia are. As proof, every year 1.8 million Georgian visitors come to Turkey, while the number of visitors from Turkey to Georgia is 1.6 million," Gul said.
"Wehave strategically deep relations and we always support Georgia's place in European and NATO structures."
Also, Margvelashvili supported Turkey as an international partner during the press meeting.
"Especiallyin terms of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and of integration to transatlantic structures, Turkey always supported Georgia. Our Turkish partners likewise support us by not recognizing seceded regions from Georgia," Margvelashvili said.
Moscow recognized the independence of Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after a six day war in 2008 with Georgia. The regions do not have international recognition
Turkey, Georgia eye more border trade | Diplomacy | Worldbulletin News