Turkish President continues his official visit to Slovenia

Ljubljana, Brdo pri Kranju, 15.7.2010  |  press release

On the second day of the official visit by the Turkish President to Slovenia, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, and his wife, Barbara Mikliè Türk, and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül, visited the University Rehabilitation Institute of the Republic of Slovenia - Soèa, where they were shown the work of the institute.

They also met disabled children from Gaza who have come for treatment to Slovenia within the framework of the humanitarian initiative of President Dr Danilo Türk. In the context of the complex rehabilitation process, the Institute will help Palestinian children who have suffered serious physical injuries in clashes in the Gaza Strip to increase their physical mobility and enable them to live as normal lives as possible.

The Slovenian and Turkish Presidents then attended the Slovenian-Turkish Business Conference, where both addressed an audience of business people from the two countries.

President Türk said that, despite the recession, bilateral trade between the two countries is growing. He stressed the high level of cooperation in some economic areas, such as the electricity industry, the production of kitchen appliances, building material and medical aids, adding that this cooperation could be further extended. According to the Slovenian President, it is of great importance to establish permanent business cooperation between companies from Turkey and Slovenia and to enhance joint representation of these companies on third markets. President Türk also highlighted potentials in the transport area, since certain traffic routes connecting different regions pass through both countries, which makes Slovenia and Turkey natural partners.

In his address, President Gül stressed the importance of the cooperation of the two countries in the Balkan region, including in the economic sense. He called upon business people of both countries to strengthen cooperation in areas in which Slovenia and Turkey generate high added value and which are of interest for development. He highlighted the great success of the Turkish construction sector and added that Turkey is an interesting region for investment. He, too, focused on the possibilities of cooperation in the transport area, i.e. road, railway and ship transport, currently a subject of discussion by the ministers of transport of the two countries. He also mentioned in particular opportunities regarding the joint development of airports, the hotel industry and tourist services.

President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Danilo Türk and his wife, Barbara Mikliè Türk, and President of the Republic of Turkey Abdullah Gül, and his wife, Hayrünnisa Gül, later visited the surroundings of Lake Bled.