France offers good opportunities for Turkish firms, a French
envoy for foreign investments says. France prepares to include lessons in
Turkish at Strasbourg schools to attract Turkish investors with their families
Turkish firms are invited to invest in France, particularly
for ‘The Greater Paris’ project, a public transportation project where France
will put in $32 billion, Appia says. Hürriyet photo.
The French government wants to see more Turkish businesses
investing in the country, including in a $32 billion-infrastructure project in
greater Paris, according to the French ambassador for international
investments.
“We believe in the potential of Turkey,” David Appia told
the Hürriyet Daily News in a recent interview. “Turkish companies are very
successful in the international arena.”
“The investment trend is changing,” Appia said, implying a
change in the one-way investment direction from developed economies to emerging
ones as in the past.
The French government is also considering whether to launch
Turkish-speaking sections at schools in Strasbourg by 2013 to support Turkish
investment in the country.
Turkey is listed in a recent Invest in France Agency (IFA)
document with other countries such as China and India. The idea behind
providing classes in these foreign languages is to provide better living conditions
for foreign investors and their families in the country.
More companies have begun to look at investment
opportunities in France in recent years, Appia said. “We invite Turkish
companies to invest in France.” Emphasizing that nearly 10 percent of the total
foreign direct investments (FDI) to France last year came from BRIC countries –
Brazil, Russia, India and China – Appia said “the trend is favorable” in terms
of investments from emerging countries.
Still, 65 percent of France’s, FDI comes from Central
European countries.
“The imbalance is still there [in terms of] Turkish
investments in France and French investment in Turkey,” said Appia, noting that
only 40 Turkish firms were currently operating in the country while 400 French
firms were operating in Turkey at the end of 2010.
More Turkish companies heading to France
“In the last eight years, there were only six Turkish firms
directly investing in France, but by the end of the first half of this year,
another six Turkish firms had directly invested in our country through joint
ventures and acquisitions,” Appia said. “This shows the interests of the
Turkish firms in France.”
Many Turkish firms from the agro-industry, services, real
estate and tourism sectors are increasingly interested in investing in France,
he said.
Each Turkish investment in France creates roughly 50 jobs,
he said. “We aim to attract more investments through our recently founded IFA
in Istanbul,” said Appia.
“We focus on investment creating jobs. Investors come for
some French companies that are in financial difficulty and acquire the company
and maintain the jobs,” said Appia, noting that there were over 20,000 foreign
firms employing more than 2 million people in 2010. In 2008, nearly 2,000
foreign firms received France’s research tax credit, according to IFA
documents.
Appia said “The Greater Paris” project represented an
important opportunity for investment. France will invest more than $32 billion
in public transport in the greater Paris region. On the Saclay Plateau, in the
south of greater Paris, more than 2 billion euros have been earmarked to
construct Europe’s largest scientific and technological campus by 2020.
“Turkish companies are welcome to participate in such
projects,” said Appia.
“Turkish companies invest heavily in Central Asia and
Eastern Europe, particularly Russia, Ukraine and Romania, [but] Western
European countries also present a strong potential with extensive know how and
a technological base with successful brands,” he said, noting that a French
business delegation would meet with Turkish companies Oct. 13.
Appia said stronger economic bonds between Turkey and France
could also support Turkey’s bid to become a full member of the European Union
in the future.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
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