IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas attended the online event entitled “Modernisation of Turkey-EU Customs Union – Business Perspectives from Turkey and Germany” which was organised on 17 December 2020 by the Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and stressed the importance of the modernisation of the Customs Union for Turkey-EU relations.

Former European Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen was the keynote speaker of the event, the opening speeches of which were delivered by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, Deputy Minister of Trade Gonca Yılmaz Batur, President of the Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rolf A. Königs, Turkey’s Ambassador to Germany Ali Kemal Aydın, and Director for Southeast Europe, Turkey, EFTA countries, OSCE and Council of Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, Ambassador Susanne Schütz. During the event a panel discussion on the modernisation of the Customs Union from a business perspective was held. IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, Bertelsmann Foundation Senior Specialist in Trade and Globalisation Dr. Christian Bluth, AUNDE Technical Inc. Chairman Cesur Sünnetçioğlu and BEKO/Grundig Supply Chain Manager Cristina Mandru were the speakers of the panel which was chaired by TEPAV Executive Director Prof. Güven Sak. The closing speech of the meeting was delivered by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu who expressed the views of the Turkish business community.