LUSAKA, Zambia
Zambia will co-host the inaugural session of the Zambia-Turkey Joint Economic Commission (JEC) here in the capital city Wednesday.
The JEC is expected to negotiate and agree on areas of cooperation between Zambia and Turkey.
Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji said the meeting is timely and vital as it will provide an opportunity for the nations to review the implementation of signed development cooperation agreements.
The JEC is a framework of cooperation between the two countries designed to promote mutual trade and economic cooperation, said Malanji, and the meeting will also map strategies to address low trade volume that exists between Zambia and Turkey, which has been fluctuating between $22 million in 2015 and $18 million in 2018.
It will be co-chaired Feb. 12-13 by Malanji and his Turkish counterpart, Minister of Family, Labour and Social Services, Zehra Zumrut Selcuk.
Malanji expressed gratitude for the countries’ leaders for acknowledging low trade volume does not reflect the potential of both countries who have a combined population of more than 97 million.
He urged the two countries to take advantage of the JEC to develop strategies for increased trade.
He added that the Commission is also responsible for the implementation of activities under the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation signed by the two countries at the end on 2011 in Geneva.
The Turkey-Zambia Joint Economic Commission follows the signing of 12 agreements in Lusaka during the first official visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Zambia in 2018.
It was during the visit that Erdogan urged organizing a Joint Economic Commission between the two countries.
The agreements covered various sectors including economy, education, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, forestry, security, tourism and media.
