Business leaders, ambassadors, ministers and delegations of Africa and Turkey came together at the Sipopo Conference Center in the capital city of Malabo for Second Africa Turkey Summit, which is being held on November 19-21, 2014.
Following the theme “the new model of partnership for durable development and integration,” Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Mauritanian President and Chairman of the African Union (AU), said, “The Africa-Turkey partnership is opportune. Africa has high rates of economic growth, with a rising young population.”
In the last decade, the trade between Sub-Saharan Africa and Turkey has increased considerably and it’s expected to continue to grow. The summit will discuss key partnerships in the health, cultural exchange, trade and investment, scholarships, peace and security sectors.
When talking about Africa Turkey partnership, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, “In 2013 Turkey's bilateral trade volume has reached $23 billion and our joint aim is to reach the target of $50 billion by 2018. Africa is clearly taking off. The continent has recorded an annual growth rate of over 5 percent. Turkish investments in Africa are employing local human resources, using local products as components and selling products in third countries.” He continued to say, “The summit will contribute enormously in enhancing political, cultural and economic partnership.”
The summit will review a joint implementation plan of the Africa-Turkey Partnership 2015-2018, as well as the Matrix of the Priority Principals of the Africa-Turkey Partnership during the same time period.
The summit will conclude with a Heads of State meeting on Friday, November 20.