Türkiye's MUSIAD trade expo has become 'a commercial diplomacy event': Official

By Gatice Senses Kurukiz

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD) Expo “has turned into a commercial diplomacy event,” the organization’s head Mahmut Asmali said on Friday.

Some 600 companies from around the world participated in the 19th MUSIAD Expo organized in Istanbul last week, with visitors coming from countries including Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Austria, and Morocco, Asmali said in a statement.

Top officials from several countries also attended the four-day event held on Nov. 2-5, including ambassadors from Developing Eight (D-8) countries – Türkiye, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, he added.

Asmali said the expo makes a tangible impact on international trade, citing the fact that 17 institutions from 11 countries signed cooperation agreements at last week’s event.

One of the agreements was signed with D-8 Secretary General Isiaka Abdulkadir Imam, under which MUSIAD will enhance ties with the D-8 and make our cooperation more comprehensive, he added.

“The participation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop, Turkish ministers, Turkic Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Unal Ustel among other senior ministers and representatives of foreign countries is a testament to the importance of the expo,” Asmali noted.

During the event, MUSIAD unveiled two new bodies – MUSIAD Invest and MUSIAD Trade Office – to further bolster its international reach and operations, he added.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun