SFA-AGR-309-08

06 May 2006 – Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim A. Guinomla attended the opening of the trade fairs and met with businessmen in Bursa, western Turkey on 24 April.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Guinomla said the trade events featured the 7^th Bursa food and beverage, food processing, beverage technologies, bakery product techniques, and shops and marketing equipment fair as well as the Bursa 7^th packaging industry fair.

While in Bursa, the Ambassador was also hosted to a luncheon meeting by top officials of the Bursa Young Businessmen’s Association (BUGIAD).

During the meeting, Ambassador Guinomla invited the businessmen to visit the Philippines to meet with their counterparts.  He also urged them to take advantage of the presence of Filipino businessmen who are expected to visit Turkey in the next few months.

Guinomla said that in June, a delegation from the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and participants in the Turkey-Asia/Pacific Trade Bridge Program sponsored by the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) are expected to visit Istanbul and possibly other cities in Turkey.  This will be followed by another group in October.

The Ambassador’s hosts were grateful for his visit to Bursa and for his initiatives in promoting bilateral trade between the Philippines and Turkey.

Bursa is one of Turkey’s largest cities and is a leading center of its textile and automotive industries.  It has some of the best facilities for winter tourism in the country.  Historically, it served as the first capital of the Ottomans and is also known as Green Bursa because of its parks and gardens and its location in the middle of a fruit-producing region. END

wingret