Egypt and Turkey have put the finishing touches on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is expected not only to open up new markets for Egyptian business but also boost the inflow of Turkish investments after it comes into force in February. Trade between the two has been on the rise for the past few years, coming in at $1.1 billion for 2006, a 30% increase on the preceding year. With the FTA in place, both sides are tipping at least a three-fold improvement on the 2006 figures within three years. The final inking of the agreement, which has been a number of years in the making, took place in Cairo on January 10. The agreement, based on a protocol signed in December 2005 by President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Sezer, allows for Egyptian exports of industrial products to Turkey to be exempt from customs
