AUSTRIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

26 FEBRUARY 2021

ONLINE

Esteemed Members of our Board of Directors,

Esteemed President and Members of our Austria Branch,

Esteemed Participants,

I greet you all with respect at the MÜSİAD Austria General Assembly; welcome.

Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, which has taken the world under its influence and accustomed us to a new way of life, we are unfortunately obliged to hold our general assemblies online rather than face to face, in contact with one another and in conversation. We hope to come together with you physically once again as soon as possible, as the impact of the pandemic diminishes.

Esteemed Participants,

The world today is passing through days in which the importance of countries preserving their own strength, being able to be self-sufficient and having a say in international competition is emphasized. Today, as in the past, the picture created by mass crises shows that countries walking alone lag behind in eliminating the adverse conditions and consequences brought about by the crisis, and that they are left alone in this regard as well. The Covid-19 Pandemic, which has affected the whole world since the first months of last year and brought a global crisis with it, has once again demonstrated how important a joint struggle is.

As you know, the EU has always been one of Türkiye's important strategic partners. The focus of this strategic partnership should be to create areas in which we can put cooperation mechanisms into practice in Türkiye-EU relations. In this direction, it is important that our relations with the EU advance along the axis of the principle of “mutual interdependence” in the fields of economy and politics and through uninterrupted dialogue.

In particular, we saw during the pandemic that Turkish producers exported medical products and medical equipment to many parts of the world, primarily to EU countries.

In addition, Türkiye provided medical product and device aid to many countries, primarily European countries.

Consequently, with the pandemic, we witnessed that Türkiye's already existing potential to be an important production, trade and logistics base emerged even more clearly.

As we have always stated, when we make good use of the opportunities before us, there is no obstacle preventing us as Turkish industrialists from delivering our products to the whole world. This period has once again shown how accurate this idea is. As MÜSİAD, with our total of 20 branches and representative offices located in 10 countries in Europe, we aim to develop relations with the EU and its member states and to advance socio-economic relations through the cooperation agreements we will conclude via public and private institutions and NGOs.

As MÜSİAD, we will continue to support our State with the experience we have globally in developing relations with the EU, just as we do in every step it takes in foreign policy.

I would also like to state that MÜSİAD Austria assumes an extremely important role in our country's trade with the EU.

In November 2020 we held, with broad participation, our MÜSİAD EXPO 2020 trade fair, which encouraged our business people to open up not only to Europe but to every country in the world and thereby helped develop their foreign trade, and which was the largest fair held during the pandemic period.

The EXPO, which we held at İstanbul TÜYAP and which was attended by business people, politicians and academics from every region of the world, enabled our business people to open up to new forms of cooperation while also allowing foreign investors to examine investment opportunities in our country at first hand.

In this respect, as MÜSİAD, in order to further develop our relations with the EU and with every country in the world, we will continue our international events, foremost among them the EXPO, improving them each time.

Esteemed Guests,

Here I would like to touch on a point I consider important: as Türkiye, we attach the utmost importance to our role in the European Green Deal, which the European Union

has put forward as the new road map framing its industrial policy and economic growth strategy for the coming period.

The European Green Deal, particularly with its budget of EUR 1 billion, carries an extremely important resource potential for our country as well. In this context, developing serious projects is an important responsibility for us.

The European Green Deal does not cover climate change alone; at the same time, with targets such as Industry for a Clean and Circular Economy, Energy and Resource Efficient Buildings, and Farm to Fork agriculture, it touches on many other issues as well.

When we approach the matter in this framework, recalling also that our share of foreign trade with Europe is at the level of %50, we must state that the deal is quite important for Türkiye.

Following developments in the EU, which has been our country's most important trade and investment partner for many years, and setting mutual road maps in line with these developments, is important so that relations with the EU may undergo a productive revision for both sides.

Indeed, over a long term extending to 2050, the transformation that the EU will carry out in many fields, primarily energy, finance and industry, carries the potential to affect Türkiye directly. In this context, the European Green Deal should not be seen merely as an environmental issue. In order to adapt to this program, which closely concerns our country as well and which by its consequences will give rise to a new international trade system and division of labour, keeping pace with the developments that will take place within the framework of the new climate regime is becoming compulsory not only for Türkiye but for all other countries.

At this point we are speaking of a new system encompassing new taxes and non-tariff barriers in trade, aimed at reducing carbon leakage to a minimum level and at pricing carbon effectively throughout the economy. In short, alignment with the European Green Deal will in fact also bring serious gains in the economy. Within this framework, a new configuration will take place at every stage of the economic cycle, from production to employment and from trade to exports.

Esteemed Guests,

Before concluding my remarks, I would like to touch on one more important issue:

We see and experience the social, psychological and economic effects of Islamophobia, which you are aware of and which we have seen rising in Europe especially in recent years.

As Muslim business people, although there is no deep-rooted problem between our peoples, we will do our utmost from now on, as we have done to date, to break this perception that feeds an unnecessary tension and prejudice. We will approach the matter with moderation; but we will also stand in the way of this wind of hatred and rancour directed at Islam and at Muslims, and we will not allow it to advance.

As we frequently state, Türkiye and the European Union countries are important commercial allies.

I would like to emphasize that, in order to carry this even further, our branches in Europe, foremost among them MÜSİAD Austria, together with their members, are assuming serious responsibilities and making a great effort.

As I conclude my remarks with these sentiments, I wish that our MÜSİAD Austria General Assembly may bring goodness, and I greet you all with respect and affection.

Abdurrahman KAAN

President of MÜSİAD