Deputy Minister: Iran, Turkey to Set Up Joint Economic Commission Soon
TEHRAN (FNA)- Deputy Iranian Road and Urban Development Minister Shahriyar Afandizadeh announced that Tehran and Ankara plan to establish a joint economic commission in the near future.
Afandizadeh referred to Iran and Turkey's plans to develop their transit and border terminals, and told FNA on Saturday that "after setting up the joint economic commission in the near future, we will reach extra and more extended mutual understandings in this regard".
He said decreasing the time of loading, unloading and transit of goods serves the economic interests of both neighboring states.
Afandizadeh also pointed to the construction of border terminals in the two countries, and said Iran has set up a committee to study joint proposals to this end and the committee is ready to continue its meetings to take the necessary decisions for the implementation of plans for building border terminals.
Iran and Turkey have recently expanded their bilateral relations, specially in trade and energy fields. Trade between Turkey and Iran has risen sharply over the past decade.
Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour announced earlier this month that Iran-Turkey trade value stood at $20 billion in 2012.
Also, Turkey was Iran's fifth-largest oil customer in 2011, buying around 200,000 barrels per day, 30 percent of its total imports and more than 7 percent of Iran's oil exports.
The two countries officials stressed the necessity for stronger relations and pursuing the planned increase of mutual trade to $30bln by 2015.
Fars News Agency :: Deputy Minister: Iran, Turkey to Set Up Joint Economic Commission Soon
