Tehran, Iran, June 9
By Milad Fashtami - Trend:
The Iranian president said that Iran and Turkey have agreed to improve their economic ties.
He went on to note that the two neighboring countries want to double their bilateral trade, Iran's IRINN state TV reported on June 9.
"We agreed to join our borders via a railway," he said, explaining that such a move will "connect the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman to the Black Sea".
"Expansion of economic ties between Tehran and Ankara will not only benefit the two states, but also benefits the entire region," he said.
"Iran and Turkey enjoy special geopolitical position," he explained.
According to Rouhani, the private sectors of both countries also want to boost their cooperation.
"Ties between our education centers and universities should also be expanded," he said
The Iranian president went on to note that the two countries have a similar stance in regards to nuclear programs.
"We both believe that any country who signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) can develop a peaceful nuclear program," he said.
"Our region should be free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destructions (WMD)s," he added.
He added that Tehran and Ankara will stand against terrorism, extremism, and violence in the region.
Iranian president arrived in Ankara on Monday morning for a two-day official visit.
He held a meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Ministers from both countries are also expected to hold a joint meeting during the visit.
Tehran and Ankara are planning to boost their annual trade transactions to 30 billion dollars by 2015.
The last official presidential visit from Iran to Turkey was in 1996 by Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Edited by CN