Iran and Turkey signed four cooperation pacts in trade and cultural fields on Wednesday.
Iran and Turkey signed four cooperation pacts in trade and cultural fields on Wednesday.
The cooperation pacts were endorsed in the presence of Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and the visiting Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Tehran today.
The first cooperation agreement was signed between Iranian Minister of Industries, Mines and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh and Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekc.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) and Turkey’s Anatoly News Agency signed the second agreement. The two countries also signed an agreement on preferential tariffs.
Erdogan and his accompanying delegation arrived in Tehran on Tuesday night for a two-day visit.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Erdogan underlined his country’s enthusiasm for starting a new chapter in the relations with Tehran, and said Turkey is in dire need of Iran’s energy resources.
“We import oil and natural gas from Iran and those are strategic products that Turkey imports from Iran and we can receive them more (than before),” Erdogan told reporters in Tehran after inking the cooperation agreement with Iran on Wednesday.
“Given the fact that Turkey’s industries are making progress on a daily basis and rapidly, we direly need energy products, specially Iran’s natural gas, and we should take joint win-win steps,” he added.
Erdogan also called for the further expansion of bilateral economic ties with Tehran, and said there is a political resolve in Iran and Turkey to increase the level of their trade exchanges to $30bln in 2015.
Iran and Turkey are both trying to return to the golden age of their relations after a period of recession of ties due to their differences on certain regional issues, especially in Syria.
The two Muslim neighboring states have increased their cooperation in various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture in recent years.
The two sides have exchanged several politico-economic delegations during the last few months.
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh met Erdogan in Ankara last week and discussed ways to further boost bilateral trade ties.
“I was sent on a mission to Turkey to talk with Prime Minister and Energy Minister of Turkey before the scheduled Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to Tehran next week”, Zanganeh said in Ankara.
The two sides have decided to boost bilateral trade relations and it is scheduled delegations from both countries to continue negotiations within the next days, Zanagneh said.
