Djibouti Ankara Ambassador Aden Houssein Abdillahi, with Diplomat Ali Omar Youssouf, visited the President of KOSGEB Dr. Cevahir Uzkurt in his office.

During the visit, Ambassador Abdillahi exchanged views with President Uzkurt about the economic situation in Djibouti and the work done in the field of SMEs.

Underlying the Djibouti's strategic location as a small country being the port of entry to the region, Abdillahi stressed that they want to establish a strategic partnership with Turkey in the coming period. Describing the origins of relations between the two countries as based on the 16th century, Ambassador added that they want to strengthen trade ties between the two countries as well as diplomatic relations. Ambassador Abdillahi stated that thay have no institution like KOSGEB in Djibouti but it is on the way and planned to be opened in September.

Indicating that the trade, service and finance sectors account for 81% of the country's economy, Abdillahi said that recently 5 ports have been opened by making major investments in railways and sea routes. Stating that the Ethiopian-Djibouti electricity railway was built between Ethiopia and Djibouti, the ambassador emphasized that the cooperation between two countries will affect the entire region because the region is a commercial center.

Abdillahi stated that, for the Turkey free trade area to be built, 5 million square meters of land were allocated in November 2015 and feasibility study is going on. He noted that tax and customs will not be implemented in the region. Underlining that this free trade zone is located within the port to be newly established, the Ambassador stated that it is a strategic project not only for Djibouti but also for the region.

Noting that they have no experience in the field of SMEs which is the backbone of the economy, Ambassador Abdullahi expressed their expectations from KOSGEB to support SMEs operating in Djibouti. Abdillahi, who underlined that KOSGEB's support programs are appreciated by SMEs in their experience and experience, said that Djibouti wants to benefit from these experiences.

At the meeting, the Djibouti delegation was informed about KOSGEB's structure, functions and supports. Reminding that 4. Joint Economic Meeting between the two countries will be hold in Turkey, it was noted that MoU with Djibouti side can be signed in the meeting. Under the protocol to be signed, KOSGEB will provide technical support for the establishment of the institutional structure of the SME institution in Djibouti.

President of KOSGEB Dr. Cevahir Uzkurt expressed his satisfaction with the visit and stated that KOSGEB's experiences can be shared in the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed with the SME support organization in Djibouti. Uzkurt said that working groups can be created between the two countries for the creation of SME support models in Djibouti.