Tehran, IRNA – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi underlined on Monday that Iran and Turkey have to finalize a roadmap for enhancement of bilateral cooperation so as to upgrade the current level of relations to all-out cooperation.

The president made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with visiting Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu.  

Raisi said that close relations between the two neighboring countries would benefit the interests of the entire region. 

Noting that the regional countries are capable of resolving their issues without the intervention of extra-regional countries, he said that the presence of alien countries would yield no result but insecurity and tension among the regional governments and nations. 

The president cited 20 years of US presence in Afghanistan which he said had nothing but massacre, bloodshed, and destruction.  

Raisi said that Iran and Turkey can also cooperate in the fight against terrorism and organized crimes.   

Referring to cooperation on bringing peace and stability in South Caucasus, the president said that Iran’s relations with Turkey and the Azerbaijan Republic are far beyond relations of neighbors and strong bonds of religion and culture are connecting these countries.  

The Turkish foreign minister, for his part, said that his country is looking forward to promoting all-out relations with Iran.   

Underlining the significance of cooperation between Iran and Turkey in the South Caucasus region, Cavusoglu said that Turkey wants further cooperation with Iran in this regard.

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