ETO HOSTS MEETING WITH FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO DISCUSS BUSINESS COLLABORATION

Eskişehir Chamber of Commerce (ETO) hosted a meeting with French Ambassador to Turkey Isabelle Dumont and her accompanying delegation to discuss the business and cultural relations between Eskişehir and France, as well as ETO members' Schengen visa requests.

Strengthening International Trade with France

The meeting, held at ETO, included discussions on how to boost Eskişehir's exports and support ETO members' international trade. Ambassador Isabelle Dumont, along with Cultural Attaché Gilles Roulland, Attaché Kilian Vivien, and Financial Adviser Orhan Chiali, visited ETO. The meeting was attended by ETO President Metin Güler, the ETO Board of Directors, the Meclis Divan, and Elif Gürkaynak, President of the TOBB Eskişehir Provincial Women Entrepreneurs Committee.

Güler Highlights Visa Issues for Businesspeople

ETO President Metin Güler addressed the visa issue, noting that ETO renewed its visa facilitation agreement with the French Embassy last year. This has allowed ETO to assist members with 872 visas in the past five years. Güler emphasized that while visa facilitation agreements help, the issue of visa difficulties still needs to be fully resolved. He expressed hope that resolving the visa problem would lead to a further increase in trade between the two countries.

ETO's Growing Relationship with France

Güler also highlighted that Eskişehir is an advantageous investment region for French businesspeople, and ETO is ready to support new investments. He underlined ETO's ongoing efforts to strengthen economic relations between Eskişehir and France, noting that ETO has led 10 trade fair and business delegation trips to France in the past decade. Furthermore, Güler emphasized that the Eskişehir EU Information Center under ETO is ready to collaborate with France on cultural and artistic activities.

In addition, Güler mentioned that the TOBB Eskişehir Provincial Women Entrepreneurs Committee, which works under ETO’s coordination, could also develop joint projects with French partners to promote women's entrepreneurship and cooperatives.

French Ambassador Praises Visa Facilitation Agreement

Ambassador Isabelle Dumont expressed satisfaction with the progress of the visa facilitation agreement between ETO and the French Embassy. She responded positively to ETO’s invitation for French businesspeople to collaborate, especially regarding an event to bring together technology and software firms from Eskişehir with French companies. Dumont reiterated that both the cultural and economic ties between France and Eskişehir are growing, and the French Embassy is ready to support initiatives that strengthen these relationships. She also emphasized the growing economic relations between Turkey and France, noting that French companies are planning new investments in Turkey.

The meeting underscored the ongoing collaboration between Eskişehir and France, with both sides committed to enhancing bilateral trade and cultural exchange.