Envoy Calls for More Joint Efforts by Iran, Turkey to Broaden Ties

(FNA)- Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Alireza Bigdeli underlined that Tehran and Ankara have to increase their efforts to reach their planned objectives for 2015.

"Preferential trade, using national currencies in trade exchanges, improving the conditions at border passages and terminals, improvement of financial and monetary cooperation, reciprocal tourism ties, and cooperation in energy and defense sectors should be added to the existing cooperation to move along the targeted path," Bigdeli said on Saturday.

He noted that the two countries have also taken steps to expand their transport relations and remove the existing barriers to this end, and said, "Turkish deputy roads minister will travel to Iran soon."

Last month, Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Reza Hakan Tekin in a meeting with Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi underlined that his country doesn’t receive any permission from foreign states for broadening its relations with Iran.

Iran in addition to being a neighbor, having long joint borders and deep age-old, cultural and political ties is a trade partner of Turkey as well, Hakan Tekin said during the meeting in Tehran on Thursday.

For the expansion of relations and cooperation with Iran, Turkey will not receive permission from any country outside the region, he added.

Hakan Tekin referred to the firm determination of the Turkish government to make efforts for the expansion of its relations with Iran in the economic, trade, transportation and energy fields, and said he is determined to take steps towards removing bottlenecks which hinder promotion of relations.

Vaezi, for his part, said that relations between Iran and Turkey should not be halted due to subsidiary issues, adding that through constant meetings and direct talks measures should be taken to remove impediments.

The value of trade between Iran and Turkey in the first half of 2014 stood at $6.5bln, according to data released by Turkish Statistical Institute.

Trade between Turkey and Iran stood at $22bln in 2012 before dipping to $14.5bln in the following year due to the economic sanctions imposed on Tehran by the West.