Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-03-04 02:50:00
The meeting between Andry Rajoelina and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took place at the Maxx Royal Resort in Antalya. President Rajoelina met with his Turkish counterpart on Saturday on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. The discussions resulted in the signing of a bilateral and commercial cooperation agreement.
A trusted partner. This is how Madagascar views Turkey, according to a press release issued by the presidency. The letter details the bilateral meeting between Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic, and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum on Saturday.
The meeting, which lasted about thirty minutes according to the presidential institution’s press release, focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between Madagascar and Turkey. The discussions led to tangible results with the signing of an economic and commercial cooperation agreement between the Great Island and Turkey. The agreement was signed by Rafaravavitafika Rasata, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
During this meeting, the President of Iavoloha emphasized that Madagascar is open to a wide range of bilateral cooperation. Tourism, agriculture, security and defense, as well as construction and infrastructure, were discussed with his Turkish counterpart. The main goal is clear: to attract Turkish investors to come to the Great Island.
A turning point
A particular emphasis was also placed on the project to build the new city of Tanamasoandro in Imerintsiatosika. The choice to encourage Turkish operators to invest in Madagascar, especially in the infrastructure sector, is natural to a certain extent.
Turkey is the main supplier of construction materials to the Great Island, accounting for 90%. Turkish players already have some mega projects in Africa. For example, there is Diamniadio, the new city in Senegal. The agreement signed on Saturday provides for “the establishment of an economic joint committee aimed at strengthening trade exchanges between the two countries,” according to the presidential institution’s press release.
The press release adds that “the Turkish government will soon send a list of Turkish operators who will be able to support Madagascar in the construction of the new city in Imerintsiatosika.” Bilateral relations between Madagascar and Turkey have taken off since the establishment of a Turkish embassy in Antananarivo in 2010. This link was boosted by the introduction of Turkish Airlines in 2015. This was followed by an official visit from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in January 2017.
Since then, the volume of trade between the two countries has continued to increase. It reached over 100 million dollars in 2002. The initiative to engage in a Malagasy-Turkish economic and commercial cooperation agreement was approved by the Council of Ministers in April 2023. According to the presidency, the Rajoelina – Erdoğan meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum “marks a turning point in cooperation between Madagascar and Turkey.”
This new momentum “will result in the future establishment of an embassy of Madagascar in Ankara [the capital of Turkey] and [the opening] of an office of the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) in Antananarivo,” the presidential press release announces. The opening of a Malagasy embassy would be at the request of President Erdoğan.
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
