Dutch investments reach $16.7bn

Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan met with CEOs from more than a dozen Dutch companies including Shell, Unilever, Rabobank and Philips who visited the Turkish capital, Ankara. Speaking at the meeting, Caglayan said Dutch investments in Turkey surpassed those of any other country with a foreign direct investment volume of $16.7 billion out of a total $123.7 billion. Caglayan said the Turkish-Dutch bilateral trade volume was $7 billion in 2012, adding that trade between the two countries was balanced. He also said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set to travel to the Netherlands later in March   Caglayan also met Adjara government chief Caglayan also met with Archil Habadze, head of government of Georgia's Autonomous Republic of Adjara, in Istanbul. Speaking to reporters after meeting, Caglayan said Turkey attached major importance to political and economic relations with the Autonomous Republic of Adjara important. Caglayan also said Turkey considered Batumi as an important hub for foreign investments.