By Adem Salvarcioglu
JAKARTA
Turkey’s deputy prime minister has said that he hopes trade volume with Indonesia can soon double to $5 billion.
Speaking after a meeting Thursday with Indonesia's Vice President Jusuf Kalla on the sidelines of the Asian-African Summit in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, Bulent Arinc told The Anadolu Agency that the current trade volume between the two countries of $2.5 billion “is not enough.”
"The trade volume should reach $5 billion," he said
He added that such a goal was possible as Indonesia has a population of 250 million, and is a G20 member.
“Investments are rapidly increasing in Indonesia and the growth rate is at a 7 percent level,” he highlighted, adding that the country is also a leader in the production of raw materials.
Arinc said that during Thursday’s meeting the two men had spoken about the defense industry, and issues of "terror" in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Egypt
He said that the subject would be thoroughly discussed in a meeting in the capital of West Java Bandung on Friday.
“Indonesia appreciates Turkey’s fight against terrorism, especially the fact that the country hosts some two million Syrian refugees,” Arinc said, underling that both countries believed that dialogue should provide the solution.
Arinc will head to Bandung Friday to attend the Tenth Commemoration Ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the first Asian African Conference, which is held after the two-day Asian-African Summit.
The Asian-African Summit is also known as the Bandung Conference.
Arinc said that Kalla had said he expressed a wish to visit Turkey, along with the organization of a mutual business and trading forum.
