Iran, Turkey Determined to Boost Ties: Envoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Mohammad Ibrahim Taherian underlined the resolve of Tehran and Ankara to broaden and deepen their bilateral ties.
During a recent meeting in the Turkish capital with Head of Turkey’s Ana Vatan Party Ibrahim Celebi, the Iranian envoy said the two countries share numerous commonalities and are on the path toward congruent views on some regional developments.
He stressed that Tehran and Ankara should take on greater responsibilities to resolve ongoing crises in the region.
Elsewhere, Taherian highlighted the two countries’ resolve to develop their economic and trade ties, saying that the state and private sectors of Iran and Turkey are making efforts to help increase the volume of the bilateral trade to USD $30 billion.
Celebi, for his part, said Iran and Turkey have many cultural commonalities due to their age-old relations, and attached great importance to Tehran-Ankara’s enhanced ties in the spheres of politics, culture and economy.
Back in April, Iran and Turkey signed eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various areas.
The cooperation documents were signed in a ceremony in Ankara on April 16, attended by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyib Erdogan.
The documents covered a range of fields, including higher education, social security, plant maintenance services and standardization.
Iran and Turkey have ramped up efforts in recent months to boost bilateral trade after implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a lasting nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
The deal took effect on January 16, terminating all nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.