Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey participated in the opening of the Sectoral Assessment Meeting on African Strategies on September 3, 2013.

Speaking at the meeting, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu stated that from past to present Turkey and Africa maintain close relations, common perspective and bonds of friendship and added that Turkey is among the first four countries whose presence is felt excessively in Africa in the last ten years.

Reminding that Turkey’s assistance to Africa continent has exceeded 750 million dollars in recent years, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said that the humanitarian dimension of Turkey’s policy of opening up to Africa is equally important as the economic and political dimensions. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu emphasized that Turkey’s policy towards Africa is not only based on carrying out its own national strategy and demonstrating its economic and political weight, but also incorporates dealing with the problems of the people of Africa and sharing their fate.

Underlying that Turkey’s policy of opening up to Africa is a serious success story, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said “In 2005 when our policy of opening up to Africa initiated, we had only 12 embassies in the region, now we have 34 embassies.” Since 2005, joint economic commissions with 23 countries, joint business councils with 17 countries were established; free trade agreements with 4 countries, agreements for the avoidance of double taxation with 8 countries, agreement on reciprocal promotion of investments with 10 countries were signed and THY has started fly to 35 destinations, told Foreign Minister Davutoğlu.

With a view to developing the policy of opening up to Africa on the basis of an integrated and comprehensive strategy, it is aimed to informing the government and non-governmental bodies about the potential of the African countries in the fields of construction, infrastructure- municipal services, industry and investments, food-agriculture-livestock, defense industry, health, energy-mining, tourism, transportation and to bringing together Turkish Ambassadors in Africa with Turkish businessmen focusing on the said fields for exploring trade and investment opportunities in the African countries on the occasion of the Sectoral Assessment Meeting on African Strategies to be held on September 3-4, 2013.