Tehran, Ankara Pledge to Expand Economic Cooperation

Iranian President's Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi met with Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, discussing the development of economic relations between Iran and Turkey, in a meeting in Turkish capital city of Ankara on Friday.

Mahmoud Vaezi and Berat Albayrak expressed willingness for expansion of long-term economic relations between the two countries, saying "bilateral cooperation is strategic in developing relations between Tehran and Ankara”.

Vaezai and Al-Bayrak evaluated as positive the relations between Iran and Turkey during the last few years, stressing the need for further development of economic relations and efforts to increase the volume of trade between the two countries.

The two sides agreed on issues to be raised at the fifth round of the Iran-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which is to be held in Turkey, with presidents of the two countries in attendance.

Head of Iranian President's office Mahmoud Vaezi, heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, arrived in Ankara, Turkey, on Thursday to talk with senior Turkish officials.

Before meeting with Turkish finance minister, Vaezi met with Turkish Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan, and said that expanding cooperation with neighboring countries, especially Turkey, is of high strategic importance to Iran, highlighting that Tehran is after deepening all-out relations with Ankara. 

In a related front in early September, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Tehran, and underlined the need to further expand bilateral relations in different fields.

During the meeting, the Iranian and Turkish presidents explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating mutual cooperation in different political and economic fields.

The Iranian president pointed to the brotherly relations between Tehran and Ankara, and more efforts by the authorities of the two countries to achieve the goal of strategic relations.

President Rouhani also underlined that Iran and Turkey should boost efforts and cooperation to confront the US sanctions, and said, “Banking relations between the two countries should develop to make plans for solving problems”.

He also described Iran-Turkey commercial exchanges through national currencies as essential, and said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to further develop relations with Turkey in the energy sector."

The Iranian president stated that the multilateral relations between Iran and Turkey with other countries in the region, such as Russia, Pakistan and Qatar, could be the guarantor of peace, stability and security in the region, adding, "Our efforts to fight terrorism in the region should be such that less civilians are harmed."

The Turkish president, for his part, lauded Iran’s warm hospitality, and said, "Tehran-Ankara relations are positive.

"We need to develop, strengthen and deepen relations in all fields," President Erdogan said.

The Turkish president, meantime, described the stances of the United States administration towards other countries unacceptable, and said, "Iran and Turkey should plan to develop trade and economic relations in the current situation and expand business”.

Erdogan also emphasized the development of Iran-Turkey banking relations and the use of national currency in commercial exchanges.