Asia and Roads

Asia has been home to many civilizations throughout history and has been the meeting point of cultures. One of the most important symbols of this rich heritage is the Silk Road. It not only transported goods between East and West, but also enabled the spread of knowledge, art, and religion. In addition to silk, spices, and precious stones, the Silk Road opened the door to the encounter and interaction of different cultures. Similarly, the Spice Road was another important route that offered the riches of Asia to the world. Spices, besides being delicacies, also offered the opportunity for cultural exchange. Differences started to become attractive with the mutual interaction of cultures. However, the contribution of both routes to world trade cannot be ignored.

In this issue of Business Diplomacy, we focus on ‘Rising Value Asia and Türkiye’s Role’. While shedding light on Türkiye’s historical perspective with Asian countries, we have examined many topics from modern trade relations to the Re-Asia Initiative. Ambassador Nilvana Darama, Coordinator of the Re-Asia Initiative at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, shared her views on Türkiye’s Asian Initiative Policy, while we interviewed Murat Kolbaşı, President of DEİK/Türkiye-Hong Kong Business Council, on Asia-Pacific countries. In addition, Reha Denemeç, President of DEİK/Türkiye-Vietnam Business Council, shared his views on the Belt and Road Project. We conducted our life-themed interview on “Bicycle” with Bayram Akgül, President of DEİK/Türkiye-Garadagh Business Council, who was elected as the President of the World Bicycle Industry Association. In addition, you can find different file topics and the current content of our magazine.

I hope you enjoy reading.