Turkey's State Minister for foreign trade Zafer Caglayan on Monday addressed a summit meeting with their counterparts in Istanbul.

Delivering a speech at the opening of the summit meeting, held as part of the Turkey-World Trade Bridge 2010, Caglayan said Turkey's geostrategic position and its historical and political ties with Europe made the country a bridge between the East and the West.

"Turkey is the East's gateway to the West and it is the West's guide to the East. I want you to consider Turkey as a partner in improving your trade relations with the European Union, or in engaging in new partnerships," Caglayan told their counterparts.

Caglayan said promotion of free trade, economic and industrial cooperation and boosting investment relations were "the best recipe" to tackle the fallout from the global economic recession.

Caglayan also said extra funds must be raised to support international trade with an eye to secure economic growth again.


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