Iran, Turkey Discuss Trade Exchanges amid Coronavirus Outbreak: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran and Turkey have voiced readiness to proceed with trade exchanges amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus through close cooperation between their customs offices, the Iranian president's chief of staff said.
In a post on his Instagram page, Mahmoud Vaezi said he has held a conversation with Turkey’s Minister of Finance and Treasury Berat Albayrak to discuss ways to facilitate bilateral economic cooperation and minimize the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak on the trade ties between the two neighbors.
The Iranian president's chief of staff said they stressed the need for close interaction between the health ministers of the two countries to share experiences in the battle with COVID-19.
Hailing the effective steps for the expansion of economic cooperation between Tehran and Ankara, Vaezi said the two sides expressed readiness to have their customs offices work in cooperation round the clock on the exchange of commodities in compliance with all health protocols.
According to the Iranian official, he and Albayrak emphasized the necessity of facilitating trade relations between Iranian and Turkish merchants and business people and formulating a common health protocol in the fight against the coronavirus.
Last month, Iran’s Ambassador to Ankara Mohammad Farazmand held a meeting with Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Customs and Trade Riza Tuna Turagay to weigh plans for the continuation of trade exchanges between the two neighbors in compliance with the health protocols following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
“At present, the transit trucks of the two countries (Iran and Turkey) are passing through third destinations,” the envoy said on March 10.