Political and economic relations between Moldova and Turkey are improving. The two countries’ Presidents Nicolae Timofti and Abdullah Gul, who met in Istanbul, share this opinion, reports Info-Prim Neo. According to a press release from the President’s Office, Nicolae Timofti and Abdullah Gul agreed upon a set of actions to that would boost trade exchanges and Turkish investments in Moldova. President Timofti reviewed several successful investment projects developed by Turkish companies in Moldova, in fields like the hotel industry, medicine and mobile telephony. In turn, Abdullah Gul expressed his hope that such investments would grow after the trade regime between the two countries liberalizes. The Moldovan head of the state also spoke about the Gagauz issue and the conditions created in the region for Gagauz people to study their culture, history and language. Nicolae Timofti is confident that the Gagauz people support the idea of European integration; additionally, he asked that the cultural and political elite of Comrat showed more loyalty to the Republic of Moldova. “Our wish is for the Gagauz minority to look westwards, where Moldova sees its future”, declared Timofti. His Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul labeled the territorial autonomy of Gagauz-Yeri a “bridge of friendship” between Turkey and Moldova. Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti went to Istanbul on June 25, for two days, to participate in the anniversary summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. He visited the museum-house of Dimitrie Cantemir in Istanbul and laid flowers at the commemorative plate dedicated to the great thinker and ruler. The Moldovan leader also visited the Patriarchate of Constantinople, where he met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of the European Orthodox Church with seat in Istanbul. President Timofti handed His Holiness the highest decoration of Moldova- the Order of the Republic, for his contribution to the development of Orthodoxy and in token of gratitude for his contribution to the construction and equipment of a lyceum in Ungheni district.