Turkish president visits Tunis to expand trade

Turkish President Suleyman Demirel arrived in Tunisia on Monday for a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Tunisian counterpart Zein al-Abidin Bin Ali.

An official Tunisian source said Demirel's talks in the Tunisian capital will deal with means of developing bilateral relations, especially the presently limited trade exchange between the two sides. In 1997 volume of trade exchange between the two countries did not exceed US $157 million.

Tunisia, which mainly exports phosphate, has succeeded, during this phase, in reducing the deficit in its trade balance with Turkey to US $26 million, compared to US $49 million in 1996. The two Presidents are expected to meet twice during the visit to discuss international issues, including the Middle East peace process.