Joint Iran-Turkey industrial site urged

Iran’s Industry, Mine and Commerce Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari has called for the speedy implementation of a plan to set up a joint industrial township with Turkey.

Ghazanfari made the remarks in a meeting with Turkish Science, Industry & Technology Minister Nihat Ergun on the sidelines of the second summit of industry ministers of eight developing countries (D8) in Turkey on Wednesday, IRNA reported.

The idea to set up a joint industrial township with Turkey was first proposed by Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Bahman Hosseinpour during a meeting with Ergun in 2009, which was welcomed by the Turkish minister.

He suggested that with a defined timetable the two countries’ ministries should seriously pursue the plan for the establishment of a joint township on Iran-Turkey border.

Ghazanfari also said that given the two countries’ good potentials and great markets in auto parts sector, Iran and Turkey can collaborate in the export of the product to third countries.

Ergun welcomed the proposal by the Iranian minister on the joint industrial township and said he will soon form a committee to follow up the execution of the plan.

He pointed to the key role of foreign investors in Turkey’s auto manufacturing industries and said Turkish auto parts manufacturers, who export their products to Europe, can have constructive cooperation with their Iranian counterparts in this respect.

The first meeting of the industry ministers of the D8 was held in Tehran on March 2, 2010.

Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Bangladesh and Indonesia are D8 members