Iran, Turkey to Sign Political, Economic Agreements
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran and Turkey plan to sign at least six new agreements when Iranian President Hasan Rouhani conducts his first visit to Turkey on June 9, Turkish media reports said.
Coming to Turkey upon President Abdullah Gül’s invitation, Rouhani’s visit to Turkey is the first official one since Ali Akbar Hashimi Rafsanjani’s presidential trip to Ankara in 1996.
Although the program has not yet been finalized, Rouhani will hold bilateral talks with Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and will be hosted by both Turkish officials over dinner and lunch.
Rouhani and Erdogan will co-chair the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting with the participation of several ministers from both sides. With a target of increasing the trade volume to $30 billion, the two countries are planning to intensify cooperation in energy, transportation, tourism, industry and other areas.
According to diplomatic sources, the two countries will sign at least six agreements on June 9 in the fields of economy, politics and culture, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Apart from bilateral issues, Turkish officials will also discuss regional issues with Rouhani. Syria is going to be one of the most important topics to be raised, together with developments in Iraq. Turkey and Iran have long been on different pages on the Syrian issue, with the latter notable for being one of the most important supporters of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria whereas Turkey has actively pushed for al-Assad’s overthrow.