Argentine envoy praises ties with Turkey

By Sinan Dogan

ANKARA (AA) – Argentina’s ambassador praised the century-long diplomatic relations between his country and Turkey on Thursday, vowing to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

“I did not need an adaptation period when I arrived in Turkey,” said Jorge A. Mastropietro. “From the very first moment, and leaving aside the language, I felt at home.”

Ties between the two countries date back to the early 20th century and have come a long way, Mastropietro said.

Ministerial-level political and economic consultations took place for decades alongside state visits by top officials.

The trade volume between the two nations has risen to between $500 million to $600 million with a favorable balance for Argentina, he said.

“We are currently negotiating sanitary certificates for livestock, beef, lamb and some other products to expand trade to these sectors.”

Mastropietro said that with the exception of Turkish Airlines, there has been no investment by Turkish companies in Argentina, adding there are no Argentine companies operating in Turkey.

In this regard, the two countries signed an agreement during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attendance of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires last December to avoid double taxation.

According to data released by the Ministry of Tourism, 46,729 Argentine tourists have visited Turkey since Turkish Airlines launched services in Argentina in December 2012, he said.

“An aspect to be highlighted is the existing cooperation in aerospace matters that led the Argentine company INVAP and Turkish Aerospace Industries to establish a joint venture -- GSATCOM Space Technologies -- for the production of small communication satellites,” he added.