Ukraine eyes more business from Turkey

By Musab Turan and Yunus Turk

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday reiterated that they wanted to increase bilateral trade volume with Turkey to $10 billion.

"We want to do business with Turkey. We want to work with not only some of our friends in the Turkish corporate world, but all business associates,” he said at the Turkey-Ukraine Business Forum in Istanbul.

The forum was hosted by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEIK).

He invited Turkish businesses to share their experience, technology and capital with Ukraine.

Speaking about his country's plans, he said Ukraine is set to invest $20 billion in infrastructure with 15 airports and five ports on the cards.

Also attending the forum, Turkey's Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said that Turkish construction firms have carried out projects worth $5.9 billion in Ukraine so far.

Pekcan acknowledged that Ukraine was experiencing a “new investment spurt” and promised to lend it support.

She added that the two countries will grow their economy at a time when the rest of the world was embroiled in trade wars.

DEIK and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation agreement at the forum.

Zelensky, a former popular comedian, took the reins of the Eastern European country earlier this year. He is in Turkey on a two-day-visit.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar