Tunis: The volume of Turkish investments in Tunisia, which currently stands at around $700 million, is expected to increase in the coming period, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) at the end of the 2nd Tunisian-Turkish Business and Investment Forum, he added that Turkey is ready to develop the volume of trade with Tunisia to reach $3 billion, compared to the current $1.6 billion. The Turkish minister expressed the commitment of both governments to consolidate the private sector and find solutions to all obstacles in order to launch a new partnership based on boosting trade and investment in Tunisia and Turkey, as well as increasing mutual meetings in various fields. The Turkish official described 20 years of bilateral cooperation as "close". He cited as examples the conclusion of numerous agreements, such as the Tunisia-Turkey Free Trade Agreement and the Agreeme nt on the Protection and Promotion of Mutual Investment between the two countries, in addition to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). The Turkish official pointed out that following a meeting on Tuesday with Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, Fatma Thabet Chiboub, an agreement was reached to schedule a visit to Istanbul to develop a roadmap for the different types of investments between the two countries. Minister of Trade and Export Development, Kalthoum Ben Rejeb, affirmed that trade between Tunisia and Turkey is now based on a new approach, namely on the close link between trade and investment and between investment and sustainable development, while relying on direct investment, particularly in sectors with high employment and high added value. She stressed that the regularisation of the free trade agreement between Tunisia and Turkey, adopted by the government on December 4, aims to highlight the link between trade and investment. This regularisation made it possible to decide on the organisation of a Tunisian-Turkish Business and Partnership Forum, which will be held annually and will aim to promote investment. The minister explained that this meeting is part of the follow-up to the points adopted during the first meeting of this forum held in Istanbul on June 5. She also affirmed that the forum defines the areas of private investment in the two countries, specifying that the textile, leather, steel, shipbuilding and agro-food sectors are the first sectors to attract Turkish investments in Tunisia. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse