President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed in his video message to the International Black Sea Rize-Ayder Forum that the region's geostrategic importance is expected to expand in the near future.
Greeting the attendees, President Erdoğan expressed his hope that the forum, which would cover the logistics and transportation prospects of the larger Black Sea Region, will yield auspicious results.
Erdoğan extended a warm welcome to the international experts attending the forum, voicing his belief that the forum would facilitate fruitful discussions.
Citing the repeated reminders of epidemics and regional crises of the critical role logistics and transportation infrastructure play in economic development, Erdoğan said, "We must establish logistics networks that will enhance trade and reduce the delivery times of products and transportation services in all countries within the Black Sea region. The İyidere Logistics Centre, a high-tech industrial development zone near Rize, is expected to contribute significantly to these efforts. Positioning the Black Sea Region as a prominent player in the global shipbuilding market is another one of our primary objectives."
President Erdoğan stated that transportation corridors and energy routes connecting the West and the East, the North and the South from Central Asia and the Caspian Region pass through the Black Sea Region, adding:
"The region's geostrategic importance is expected to expand in the near future. Allah willing, as the Black Sea Region's transport and logistics infrastructure improves, this momentum will accelerate even more. We are approaching a new era in which we will reap the benefits of our government's transport investments over the last 22 years in a variety of areas. I have no doubt that in the coming era, the Black Sea Region will take its rightful place. I believe that the International Black Sea Rize-Ayder Forum, which will be attended by prominent figures in their fields, will aid us in our struggle."