The Consuls General of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) countries came together in Gebze, Kocaeli under the coordination of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD).

At the gathering, which aims to improve relations between Türkiye and the BSEC countries, topics such as increasing international trade diplomacy activities, the branding of cities and encouraging gastronomy tourism were addressed.

The MÜSİAD-BSEC Diplomacy and Gourmet Meeting was held on 22 June 2021 under the coordination of the MÜSİAD Diplomatic Relations Committee and hosted by MÜSİAD Gebze. A total of 13 diplomatic mission representatives, including Consuls General and Commercial Counsellors from BSEC member countries, took part in the meeting.

At the meeting, which was also attended by MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Faruk Kaymakçı, Secretary General Micheal B. Christides, Kocaeli Deputy Governor İsmail Gültekin, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Yaşar Çakmak, Gebze Technical University Prof. Dr. Muhammed H. Aslan, MÜSİAD Global High Board Chairman F. Mehmet Keçebir, Diplomatic Relations Committee Chairman Zeki Güvercin, Export Development Head Davut Altunbaş and Gebze Branch President Serkan Beyaz, MÜSİAD members also came together with the diplomatic representatives and held consultations on regional trade.

At the meeting, among the foreign diplomatic mission representatives representing the BSEC member countries, Consul of Albania Ermal Kaleci, Deputy Consul of Azerbaijan Ramiz Hajizada, Consul General of Bulgaria Vassil Petkov Valchev, Consul General of Moldova Alexandru Prigorschi, Consul of Romania Lucian Cringaşu, Consul General of Russia Andrey Buravov, Consul of Serbia Kristina Radovic and Chief Attaché of Greece Apostolos Digbassanis shared their assessments.

"THE COUNTRIES IN THE BLACK SEA BASIN HOST A COMMON HERITAGE"

Taking the floor in the "Consultation Meeting with Consuls General" section of the programme held in the morning, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kaymakçı thanked MÜSİAD for this important organization. Touching on the fact that the countries in the Black Sea basin host many historical and cultural common heritages, Kaymakçı expressed the wish that work be carried out with this awareness to develop relations between the countries in the region even further.

Taking the floor afterwards, Deputy Governor Gültekin, Deputy Mayor Çakmak and Rector Aslan expressed that they were extremely pleased to host such an important organization that would be highly productive for the region, and that they were ready for every kind of cooperation with MÜSİAD both locally and nationally.

"MÜSİAD CONTINUES ITS TRADE DIPLOMACY WORK WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN"

MÜSİAD President Abdurrahman Kaan, for his part, stated that the pauses experienced recently on account of the pandemic should now be left behind and that as MÜSİAD they would continue their Trade Diplomacy work without slowing down. Touching on the fact that this summit was the best example of this, President Kaan said that developing trade with the countries of the region was among the main and priority targets.

BSEC Secretary General Christides, who took part in the programme as a summit partner, stated that they were happy and excited to be on the same platform with the representatives of the member countries of the organization and MÜSİAD Member business people. Thanking MÜSİAD for its initiatives and organizational capabilities, Secretary General Christides said that the programme was an opportunity for the trade volumes of the countries to be developed.
MÜSİAD Diplomatic Relations Committee Chairman Zeki Güvercin, for his part, stated that the programme would have important results in terms of developing relations between Türkiye and the BSEC Countries and increasing international trade diplomacy activities, the branding of cities and encouraging gastronomy tourism.

The diplomatic mission representatives, who then took the floor one by one to express their views and their expectations from MÜSİAD, expressed the wish that the countries come even closer in the fields of trade and diplomacy and that MÜSİAD continue such work.

COMPREHENSIVE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES ADDRESSED

The afternoon session of the programme continued at Gebze Technical University, hosted by Rector Prof. Dr. Muhammed H. Aslan, under the name “B2B Business Development Programme and Country Presentations Meeting of Commercial Attachés”. In this section, held in the university's conference hall, the Commercial Attachés of the BSEC Member Countries gave presentations to the MÜSİAD Member Business People taking part in the programme from all over the region about business and investment opportunities of interest to investors in their own countries.

Following the country presentations, the stands of nearly 40 MÜSİAD Members who exhibited their products by setting up stands in the foyer area of the conference hall were visited and their products and services were introduced. The companies that set up stands in this area, where the synergy was very high, and the foreign mission representatives stated that productive talks had been held.

TOGG HOSTED ITS GUESTS

After this section, the entire delegation visited the headquarters of Türkiye's Automobile Joint Venture Group located in Informatics Valley. The visit, hosted by TOGG Deputy General Manager Talin Yıldız, ended with a tour of two domestic vehicles and the technology centre and detailed briefings given to the guests about the products. The foreign mission representatives, who showed considerable interest in the domestic vehicles and asked curious questions, spoke highly of Turkish automotive technology.

After the TOGG visit, PİMTAŞ Plastik, a MÜSİAD Gebze member which is one of the largest companies of the Gebze Industrial Zone, one of the region's leading plastics producers with its distinctive design and manufacturing, and which exports to 105 countries, was visited. The message was given to the participants and the diplomats concerned that there are many MÜSİAD members like this in the region and that they are always ready for cooperation.

THE GOURMET GATHERING ADDED COLOUR TO THE PROGRAMME

At the end of a highly productive and busy day, a dinner was given in honour of the foreign mission representatives at the Hilal Restaurant with its magnificent view, built by the municipality and opened to the service of the local people, hosted by Darıca Mayor Muzaffer Bıyık.

The most exquisite examples of Turkish cuisine were served and information about Gastronomy Tourism and Anatolian Flavours was shared with the participants. At the end of the dinner, which was attended by approximately 200 people and lasted 2 hours, the guests were seen off and the programme was concluded.