President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon has said his country is very satisfied with a school opened by Turkish volunteers there and called on volunteers to open more schools.
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TUSKON officials presented a picture depicting the Turkish and Gabonese presidents hand in hand to Gabon President Ondimba during a forum held in İstanbul earlier this week. (Photo: Cihan) |
"We are very satisfied that Turkey opened a school in Gabon. This is very encouraging and needs to be strengthened,” he said, inviting Turkish volunteers to open more schools in Gabon during an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman.
Ondimba arrived in İstanbul earlier this week to attend a trade and investment forum organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON).
The president's remarks about Turkish schools came as he was talking about Gabon's plans for a stronger future. Ondimba said his country is working to adapt its human capital to development. This refers to education and professional training with the goal to create jobs and add value to the Gabon economy, the president said, and added sectors such as banking and finance, the green economy and environment, higher education and professional and vocational training are all involved.
Turkish schools abroad are opened by volunteers inspired by the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by the teachings of Turkish-Islamic scholar and intellectual Fethullah Gülen. The schools promote educational and intercultural activities between Turkey and the countries they are opened in.
‘I want Turkish companies to invest in Gabon’
The Gabon president also made a call on Turkey's companies and businesspeople to invest in his country in multiple sectors, adding Gabon has made a number of reforms to facilitate investment and the creation of businesses.
The president praised Turkey for showing greater interest in Africa with a fair win-win approach. “We [Gabonese people] fully measure the position and role of Turkey, which has the particularity to be a bi-continental country as it is located at the crossroads of Europe and Western Asia and that shows greater interest in Africa with a fair win-win approach. I want your companies and businesspeople to come and invest with us in Gabon, within the multiple sectors of a country with an established potential,” he stated…
…The African country's head of state in addition expressed happiness over being in İstanbul on the first night of the holy month of Ramadan. “Our cooperation and friendship calendar matches the Islamic calendar. This is a very good sign for me to be in a friendly and brotherly country at this precise time we are seeking to bring our links to the next higher level. Let us all pray for Allah's benediction of our vision and actions for our communities. Many Muslims would have loved to be and start the Holy month of Ramadan in Turkey, especially in İstanbul. I am very grateful to God the Almighty and to President Abdullah Gül,” he said, and wished all Muslims both in Turkey and across the globe a blessed Ramadan.
Excerpted from the article published on Today's Zaman, 20 June 2012, Friday
