About Us

Balkan Regional Center for Trade Promotion (BCTP)

The Agreement Establishing "Balkan Regional Center for Trade Promotion" was signed on October 13th 1998 in Antalya/TURKEY during the Summit of Heads of State and Government of South East European Countries by the representatives of Trade Promotion Organisations.

With the mentioned Agreement the "Export Promotion Center of Turkey-İGEME" was designated as the Permanent Secretariat of "Balkan Regional Center for Trade Promotion". İGEME also has the responsibility of coordinating and implementing the activities of the Center. According to the Agreement, the Deputy Secretary General of İGEME is the Secretary General of BCTP. Chairmanship of the Center is assumed on a rotation basis.

The referred Center has two main targets:

i- to improve the economic and commercial cooperation among Balkan countries
ii-to increase the share of the Balkan Region in world trade

The Center is in the service of business communities and other foreign trade related parties in Balkan countries on various issues through Trade Promotion Organisations. Its objective is the improvement of regional welfare through better economic and commercial relations in the region. Counterpart organizations of the Center are as follows:

The Business and Investment Agency (ALBINVEST), Tirana
The Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), Sofia
The Foreign Trade Board (HEPO), Athens
The Economic Chamber (MEC), Skopje
The Trade Promotion Center (RTPC), Bucharest
The Export Promotion Center (İGEME), Ankara
The Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA), Belgrade
The Ministry for Economic Development, Podgorica

The usual activities of the center can be listed as follows:

Having a database in which all the necessary information and statistics concerning Balkan Countries,

Regular exchange of trade information: Exchange of publications to enhance trade between Balkan Countries

Having a web site, in which all the trade information and trade inquiries concerning Balkan Countries are transmitted to the world via Internet,

Preparing and distributing a Bulletin entitled "Balkan Trade Bulletin" in which all the trade information, trade inquiries, tender and joint venture requirements from the Balkan Countries are published periodically

Coordinating the determination of product and product groups which may be subject to trade within the Balkan Countries,

Organising seminars and workshops in the member countries on several issues of "Trade Opportunities Among Balkan Countries" so as to provide information about the trade potential and marketing conditions in the region to the business environment in the counterpart countries,

Organising market surveys aiming at the marketing of selected product/product groups in Balkan Countries and announcing the results of the studies to related parties,

Organising participation in fairs and exhibitions to be held in Balkan Countries in coordination with the Trade Development Organisations in Balkan Countries and organising trade missions in the Balkans,

Organising workshops in the Balkan countries,

Organising visits for "selling and buying missions/delegations" within the Balkan countries,

Organising on the job training for the staff, targeting experience sharing between the organisations, in coordination with the Trade Promotion Organisations in Balkan Countries,
- Organising yearly coordination meetings in order to evaluate the results of the yearly realised activities, economic and trade developments in the region and to discuss and decide on the activities of the coming year.