Tuba Sahin
21 February 2022•Update: 22 February 2022
ANKARA
Turkiye and Senegal have more than doubled their bilateral trade volume target to $1 billion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
"We will fortify our existing contractual structure with the agreements we will sign during my visit," Erdogan told the Turkiye-Senegal Business Forum held in the Senegalese capital Dakar as part of his four-day mini-tour of Central and West Africa.
Erdogan praised "the excellent course" of Turkiye's ties with Senegal, saying they carry key importance in West Africa.
Underlining that the previous bilateral trade volume target of $400 million was successfully achieved, Erdogan said: "Our target now is $1 billion. With our joint efforts, we will reach this figure in short order."
The trade volume in 2021 jumped 42% year-on-year to $540 million despite the coronavirus pandemic, Erdogan highlighted, adding: "I hope we will move towards our goals very quickly in the coming period without losing this momentum."
He stressed the need to put new mechanisms into practice while utilizing existing opportunities to enhance economic ties between the two countries.
Thanks to its geographical location and influence in the region, Senegal is an export gateway to West African countries, Erdogan noted, adding: "On the basis of the win-win principle, cooperation channels set especially in the fields of production, agriculture, tourism, textile, industry, energy, food, and health will benefit the entire region."
After Senegal, Erdogan is scheduled to visit the West African country of Guinea-Bissau.
