"We are the ideal transit point for goods flowing from west to east," he said.
The town is a busy trading hub, with large quantities of goods flowing north.
But put those issues aside for a moment: a big step in healing the wounds will come when goods can flow freely between the nations.
On the other hand, cheap Russian goods were flowing into the country, essentially killing domestic industries.
The European goods would flow into Turkey without any customs fee.
Consequently, capital, goods, and people rapidly flow across borders.
But goods were already flowing in freely from Tanzania, Rwanda and elsewhere, residents say.
Historical accounts also provide some indication that goods from other continents may also have flowed through Mecca.
The construction of roads and increased transport meant that goods would flow through the empire with greater ease, thus feeding the Assyrian war effort further.
We're not talking only about goods flowing into the country, but also goods flowing out of the country.