Tehran (IP)- Iran and Turkey reiterated on expanding their transportation ties at the meeting of the Joint Iran-Turkey Transport Commission.

Iran Press/Iran news: Iran’s Road Minister, Mohammad Eslami and the Turkish Transport Minister, Mehmet Cahit Turan participated in the 8th meeting of the Joint Transport Commission between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey on Monday.

Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, the Turkish minister expressed satisfaction with the ever-expanding mutual relations between Tehran and Ankara and said the two sides are determined to expand their common ties on the way to pursue the common interests, Iran Press reported.

"During the Turkish-Iranian High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting, held four months ago in Ankara, the Presidents of the two countries ordered ministers to develop all-out ties and under the framework of our duties we pursue joint interests as well as mutual cooperation and confidence," Turan said.

Calling the held meeting as the most comprehensive and important mutual meeting between Iran and Turkey in the transportation sector, he added that the two sides are determined to reach their target of $30 billion of trade transactions annually.

Turan also underlined the role that Iran and Turkey play in the region and the significance of their cooperation, which would guarantee the interests of both sides and the region, as well.

The Turkish minister added that Turkey and Iran can act as a bridge to connect Europe to West Asia, and related bilateral negotiations for the development of new transportation routes are underway.

The Iranian minister, for his turn, named four pivotal points of the talks between Iran and Turkey during the two-day meeting. They were: Expansion of transit ties between West Asia and Europe, establishing the Tehran-Ankara railway line, following up the implementation of the trilateral Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul agreement, and launching a new railway line for strengthening of transportation ties between Iran and Turkey.

“This meeting is held after seven years in this period of time and also after four months after HLCC meeting,” Eslami said, “It reveals the message of the two countries’ officials for the development of mutual cooperation and reaching the targeted $30 billion trade transactions.”

As he further explained, worthy agreements have also been signed on modifying the working hours of the offices at mutual borders and also shortening the long queues of trucks at the joint border  to facilitate transit at Bazargan and other crossing points at the border.  

In his remarks, Eslami thanked the Turkish government for the aid dispatched to flood victims in Iran as well as Ankara's political stance vis-a-vis America's unilateral policies towards the Islamic Republic of Iran.    105/211/201

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