The development of external economic interests between Russia and Turkey

Much attention, which is paid recently to the international division of labor, expansion of the economic relations between the countries, strengthening of economic integration of the countries causes a question of further development of foreign economic activity of regions of Russia with foreign countries. The importance of the foreign trade activity is defined by a great influence on the national income, ensuring growth of efficiency of social activities, equips and leads to providing a national economy with necessary means and objects of the labor, promotes concentration and specialization of the opportunities of the country in the field of scientific researches, production, etc.

Turkey is one of the main foreign trade partners of Russia. In 2013 the volume of bilateral trade amouted 32,7 billion dollars, at the same time the presidents of two countries expressed the intention to triple commodity turnover and bring it to 100 billion dollars. The anti-Russian sanctions from the EU and the USA and Russian embargo on import of a number of foodstuff of the Western countries became a good incentive to the development of trade relations of the Russian Federation and Turkey which didn't join the sanctions.

So, for the last months the volume of supplies of agricultural products from Turkey to Russia has increased almost six times. So, the attention to Turkey as to one of the leading suppliers of certain types of food and agricultural goods seriously increased. The trade mission together with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation is in continuous contact with the Russian grocery networks and promotes them in search of new suppliers of seasonal vegetables, fruit, meat, meat production, and also fish and seafood.

Nowadays the Turkish investments into Russia is mainly directed to the textile, food, chemical, woodworking, electronic and electrotechnical industry, production of construction and finishing materials, automotive industry and production of autocomponents, services, trade, tourism, the banking sector.

At the present time the feature of investment activity of the Turkish companies is the transfer of investments from large megalopolises to regions, in particular from Moscow to Moscow area, Tatarstan, the Vladimir and Penza regions

Considerable attention Turkish business shows to the development of investment cooperation with the subjects of the Southern Federal District of Russia, as well as to the investing in special economic zones.

Turkey – the important trade partner of Russia. In general Russia takes the second (after the European Union countries) place among the foreign trade partners of Turkey, Turkey – the eighth trade partner of Russia. Following the results of ten months 2014 Turkey takes the seventh place among the leading trade partners of Russia, including the fifth – on export and the 13th – on import. The share of Turkey in a foreign trade turnover of Russia is 3,9%.

The main share of supply in the structure of the Russian export to Turkey accounts for mineral products – 65,1% and metals and products from them – 19%. The structure of import is formed by the following commodity groups: cars, the equipment and vehicles - 33%, foodstuff and agricultural raw materials – 27%, textiles, products from it, footwear - 16,3%, production of chemical industry – 10,6%.

Despite balance in favor of Russia in a size of 16,1 billion dollars following the results of 2013, an imbalance in commodity turnover the Turkish side in a certain degree manages to compensate by the income from tourism, "shuttle" trade, money transfers from the citizens, and also the Turkish civil engineering and other firms working in Russia (by expert estimates – about 10 billion dollars annually).

Such directions of cooperation as power, the industry, agriculture, bank cooperation and tourism are considered as key spheres first of all.

Investment cooperation is an important component of economic relations between the countries. However, the potential of this type of cooperation isn't settled at all. According to official Russian statistics, in 2013 from Russia to Turkey came investments for the sum of 953,9 million US dollars, from Turkey to Russia - 526,4 million dollars.

It is considered that the Turkish investors will present more actively in the Russian market of capital investments taking into account the opening new opportunities.

Besides, in view of Turkey’s existing obligations to the European Union (since 1996 Turkey is the member of the Customs union of the EU) now it is impossible. Concerning all industrial goods and a so-called industrial component of the processed agricultural goods Turkey is compelled to observe a trade policy, uniform with the EU.

The Russian side also has a number of restrictions under preferential agreements in trade with the third countries in the form of obligations to other State Parties of the Customs union - Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. However the parties consider that it is necessary to develop these communications in all ways which are available at our disposal.

Turkey is the large trade partner of Stavropol Krai, taking in its foreign trade turnover the third place after China and the USA, and the second place among the countries of Asia.

Now the share of Turkey in the total amount of foreign trade of Stavropol Krai is about 7,5%. Since 1996 a basis of the Stavropol export to Turkey, as well as in previous years, fertilizers mineral and chemical made, acids acyclic. About 50% of volume of the Stavropol export is the share of this commodity group. The leading position in group are mineral fertilizers which deliveries in 2013 made nearly 70 mln. dollars. The second for value commodity group is plastic and products from them.

Turkey also buys ferrous metals, cereals, cars and the equipment in Stavropol Krai. In 2007 considerable specific weight was occupied by scrap and ferrous metals.

In recent years, in connection with access to the Turkish market a large number of Russian commercial structures took place the diversification of supply of goods from the Stavropol Krai in Turkey.

Stavropol Krai imports from Turkey mainly cars, the equipment and vehicles, textile products, products from plastic and ferrous metals.

For several years the production of mechanical engineering from Turkey traditionally is the main point in import of Stavropol Krai. So, import of this production in 2013 increased in comparison with previous year by 13 mln. dollars. In 2013 about 51,5% of all production delivered to the region were the share of these goods.

In Turkey they buy consumer goods (especially "shuttles") (sewing, knitted, leather and fur products, footwear, furniture, carpets, toys, etc.).

In 2013 the specific weight of products made of ferrous metals was 7,2%. The share of sewing, knitted, leather and fur products equaled 20,1%.

For Stavropol Krai the considerable inflow of the Turkish import goods turns into the factor, which constraining development of Russian light, shoe and other industries. Increase of the import customs duties won't solve this problem. The integrated approach including improvement of the taxation, and also a solution of the problem of increase in inflow of the Turkish investments into the Russian economy is necessary.

It is obviously necessary to strengthen work on involvement of the Turkish producers of textiles for placement of productions in the Stavropol areas and the large cities.

At the same time Turkish side continues to lobby the advance of the production on the Russian market, both on a bilateral basis, and by the attempts of creation of free trade zones, customs warehouses and terminals, the logistic centers in the Russian territory, and in a format of multilateral cooperation, seeking for creation of a free trade zone of member countries.

"Экономика и социум" №5(18) 2015