Iran-Turkey transactions to considerably increase

He made the remarks while addressing a meeting of economic activists here in northwestern country on Wednesday.



He said that the visit of a Turkish delegation and meetings with Majlis deputies prepared the ground for increasing bilateral commercial transactions, investment and economic activities.



Pointing to the long-standing cultural and commercial relations between Iran and Turkey and the will of both countries to increase political and economic relations, he said Tehran and Ankara enjoyed very good relations now.



The Turkish official further referred to cooperation between private sectors of the two countries as one the top priorities for Tehran and Ankara, urging Iranian and Turkish governments to take further steps forward to facilitate bilateral relations.



This year, he added, volume of bilateral trade has reached $15 billion while it stood at about $23 billion in 2011, pointing to the sanctions as the main impediments on growing the figure.



He stressed that the volume of bilateral trade should reach $30 billion in near future.



He noted that Qazvin province has good capacities for the establishment of trade and industrial relations with Turkey.



The official said that today banking problems, customs affairs and roads are the main communication impediments between Iran and Turkey, adding that measures should be adopted in this regard.



Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that about one million Iranians visited Turkey annually in return to only 20 thousand Turkish tourists coming to Iran.



Given the huge volume of historical attractions in Iran, he stressed, Turkish people should be encouraged to visit Iran in larger numbers.



A 30-member Turkish delegation comprising economists and businessmen in the field of household appliances, metallurgy, steel, cellulose and chemical industries arrived in Qavin for holding talks on implementation of joint projects.

NS/1424