Rouhani: Tehran, Ankara eye $30bn trade

Tehran, April 7, IRNA – President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Tehran and Ankara are determined to raise trade to 30 billion dollars and focus on national currencies of the two countries. Rouhani said that in the new year, Iranian and Turkish governments should prepare the ground for achieving the trade volume of $30 billion, making up the shortage in economic relations. He referred to his talks with Turkish President Recep Teyyip Erdogan and the common stance on many regional issues and said Tehran and Ankara believe that war and military attacks in Yemen should stop and the ground should be prepared for shipment of humanitarian relief aid to the people of Yemen. Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said peaceful solution to Yemen issue is Yemeni-Yemeni talks and all groups in the country should come to the negotiating table in a neutral country so that a broad-based and democratic government should be formed comprising all parties and ethnic groups. He referred to Tehran-Ankara relations and level of economic relations last year, which stood at about 14 billion dollars, and said the figure is not satisfactory. Head of the High Economy Council also referred to extension of financial and banking facilities and efforts to set national currency as basis of their commercial cooperation and said the two sides are ready to provide necessary facilities for joint investment. The President went on to say that in this round of talks, decision was made for further activation of Iranian companies in Turkey and the Turkish enterprises in Iran. He touched on energy and rise in gas and oil exports to Turkey and said the two countries should reach understanding on prices and volume of exports. The Iranian chief executive said both Iran and Turkey are prepared to facilitate transport and transit under the title of one window and said investment in roads and railway can prepare necessary ground for enhanced relations and reaching the horizon the two countries have drawn up in various zones. He said Iran is ready to expand cultural relations like joint film production and that the two Muslim countries share many cultural commonalties and they can have effective cooperation in this connection. The two neighbors should strive for expansion of tourism and cooperation among their research and academic centers. Head of the Supreme National Security Council said mutual cooperation can further expand in guaranteeing security on borders and campaign against terrorism. The President voiced pleasure with presence of Turkish president and high-ranking officials in Iran as well as convening the second High Cooperation Council session. He hoped that in light of consultations by the high-ranking officials, positive outcome, bearing interests of the two nations, will be gained and in the next meeting, they will witness fruit of cooperation in the areas of mutual interest. President Rouhani referred to Ankara's welcoming outcome of the Iran-G5+1 talks in Lausanne and said Turkey has always been defending stance of Iran in peaceful use of nuclear energy and 'we consider it necessary to thank Ankara for the stance, hoping that with final agreement reached in the next few months, the path will be paved for meeting $30 billion trade target as soon as possible.' Erdogan for his part referred to agreements reached in the first Iran-Turkey High Relations Council session and hoped that the visit taking place under ongoing sensitive condition will bear considerable outcomes for Iran, Turkey and the region. He referred to signing of eight cooperation documents in the visit and said one of the most important ground for mutual cooperation is economy and considering good activities of bilateral joint commission, we hope we will meet $30 billion trade target in light of implementation of accords. Erdogan said that Turkish businessmen are willing to be present in Iranian market and emphasized joint cooperation and investment, including in a third country. Transportation between the two countries should expand and certain impediments on the way of implementation of mutual accords should be lifted as soon as possible, he added. He touched on joint interests in energy trade and said if the two countries manage to reach agreement on gas prices, Turkey can have more energy imports from Iran. He referred to issues in the Middle East, such as developments in Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Yemen and said regional countries should solve their problems themselves and not to resort to the West to help them. Erdogan said Muslim people of the region are now suffering a lot from war and military invasions and terrorist attacks, so efforts should be made to resolve them.