Economy and Industry Minister Orna Barbivai has decided to reinstate the role of an Israeli economic attaché to Turkey, and on Monday named Matan Safran for the role.
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Most recently, Safran served as advisor to director-general of the Economy and Industry Ministry Dr. Ron Malka. From 2014-2018 he was Israel's chief economic attaché to Romania.
Turkey is Israel's fourth-most important economic partner and in 2021 was Israel's fifth-largest export destination. Since May 1, 1997, Israel and Turkey have enjoyed a free trade agreement and have held four joint economic summits. The last summit took place in Jerusalem in the summer of 2009, and the fifth one is expected to be held this coming autumn.
According to the Economy and Industry Ministry's Foreign Trade Administration, bilateral trade of goods and services between Israel and Turkey amounted to $7.7 billion in 2021. In that years, Israel exported $1.9 billion worth of goods to Turkey – mainly chemicals, base metals, and rubber and plastic. Israel's main imports from Turkey include base metals, machinery and electronic and mechanical parts, transportation components, and fresh agricultural produce.
"Turkey is an important country for Israel in terms of both politics and economics," Barbivai said Monday.
"Renewing the activity of the economic attaché has the potential to make a major contribution to the growth of both countries' economies. I welcome the appointment and wish Matan success," Barbivai said.
Director of the Foreign Trade Administration Ohad Cohen said, "The appointment is part of a series of tools that the Foreign Trade Administration … is promoting to upgrade economic activity between Israel and Turkey. Bringing bilateral activity between the governments in trade and economics back on track has enormous potential to increase trade cooperation, and I'm sure that the appointment of Matan will promote that in the years to come."
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