Iran, Turkey discuss development of economic ties

The Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey have discussed ways of forging closer economic cooperation.

Mahmoud Vaezi of Iran and Turkey’s Cevdet Yilmaz who co-chair the Iran-Turkey Joint Economic Commission exchanged views in a meeting Thursday on the further enhancement of economic cooperation between the two sides.

They expressed satisfaction with the growing relations between Tehran and Ankara, and called for closer economic as well as political and cultural ties.

The two men called for the joint commission to meet before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani makes his planned visit to Turkey, expected in the next three months.

Vaezi also held a separate meeting with Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci and stressed that mutual trade should touch USD30 billion by 2015.

Iran and Turkey signed several documents on economic, cultural, political, trade, banking, customs and cinematic cooperation during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Iran.

During his official two-day stay in Tehran, Erdogan sat down with senior Iranian officials, including President Rouhani, where the Turkish premier also underlined Ankara’s resolve to bring its economic transactions with Iran to USD30 billion by 2015.

The Iranian president said that Tehran and Ankara can expand mutual relations in all economic sectors, including the construction of power plants and refineries as well as industrial, oil and gas cooperation.

He also called for boosting ties between the private sectors of the two countries in an effort to improve economic cooperation