A Turkish delegation from the Northeast Anatolia Development Agency attended a meeting in Maku Free Zone, and expansion of trade relations, health tourism between Maku free zone and Eastern Anatolia were emphasized.

The delegation, consisting of Ataturk University officials and health authorities visited Maku free zone, and joint cooperation development of Maku and Erzurum was discussed.

Managing director of Maku Free Zone Organization, Gholamreza Soleimani said: The two countries of Iran and Turkey have always been supporting each other due to their close cultural, social relations throughout history, and the passage of the Silk Road from Maku free zone in Iran and Erzurum in Turkey indicates the regional and global importance of the two countries, and this  can illustrate the greatness and importance of the two countries in the world's equations in different periods of history and coming future.

Gholamreza Soleimani, referring to the capacities of the zone to start a joint venture with Turkey, said: cheap energy such as water, electricity and gas in Maku compared to Turkey, the existence of cheap labor in the zone, strategic location and logistics capacities, legal exemptions and investment incentives in Maku Free Zone have justified foreign investment in the zone.

He referred to the existence of several industrial parks in Maku Free Zone and special exemptions for foreign investors as an opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation.

Referring to the international airport and easy access to world markets, Soleimani added: "We are well-prepared to work with Turkey in every field, including health tourism, investment in health and higher education."

He expressed his satisfaction with the progressive scientific, medical and health relations with his neighboring country, Turkey and said: In the future, these scientific and medical exchanges would be maximized by exchanging student, faculty members, as well as concluding a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of joint cooperation with Turkey.

The Turkish delegation expressed their views on the development of scientific and medical fields regarding cooperation in the field of health and tourism programs.

Osman Demirdonen, head of the agency for the development of Northeastern Anatolia, also pointed out that our goal is to present and introduce the potential of the province of Erzurum in the vicinity of Maku Free Zone and said: Maku free zone holds high potential in different sectors and we try to have mutual cooperation in the health sector between Maku free zone and Erzurum.

He added: “In order to increase the trade turnover between the two sides, the potential of each side should be considered by the parties, and in this regard, the two sectors of health and tourism are among the most important sectors in this regard.”

Mahmoud Uchar, director of health office in the province of Erzurum, said: "Maku Free Zone due to holding a good logistics position, international airport and university has enough potential for production of medical and therapeutic equipment.

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