In an exclusive interview with the Anatolia news agency, Çağlayan said UAE was a very important trade partner of Turkey and ranked the third in Turkey's exports in 2008.
"35 Turkish companies undertook 77 projects worth of 6.2 billion USD in the UAE and concluded some of them. There is a serious drop in Turkey's foreign trade after global crisis. There is drop in Turkey's iron and steel exports to the region as constructions particularly in this region slowed down," he said.
"The target of my visit was to communicate a message of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Abu Dhabi's Emir Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The message reaffirmed that Turkish industrialists, entrepreneurs and exporters would continue to work with businessmen of Abu Dhabi and that the investments would continue" he said.
Çağlayan said UAE's investments in Turkey amounted to 5 billion USD, and noted that around 90 companies were acting in the UAE.
Turkish companies mainly act in areas of jewellery, food, furniture, construction as well as ready-wear.
