Thursday, January 19, 2012

Turkey vows to strengthen economic ties with Iran, regional countries


Turkish environment ministry expressed the country's determination to strengthen its commercial and economic relations with Iran and other regional countries, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Wednesday. The ministry's statement came after a close-door meeting between Turkish Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdogan Bayraktar and visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday afternoon. Turkey and Iran plan to jointly set new roadmaps in a variety of fields with special focus on commercial and economic relations, said the environment ministry, adding that trade between the two countries hit 10.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2010 and 14.9 billion U. S. dollars in the first 11 months of 2011. Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also held talks with the visiting Iranian foreign minister. A press conference, attended by Salehi and Turkish officials, will be held on Thursday afternoon. According to the schedule, Salehi will also meet with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Ankara on Thursday. Anatolia news agency quoted sources close to the prime minister as saying Erdogan and Salehi discussed regional issues including Iran's nuclear program, situation in Iraq and Syria, as well as bilateral relations. Upon his arrival in Ankara on Wednesday, Salehi said the talks on Iran's nuclear program could be held in the Turkish city of Istanbul. The foreign minister told reporters at the airport that the date for the nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 (five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) would be determined soon.

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