The Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey seek to increase the value of trade between the two countries to 30 billion dollars in 2015, Press TV reported.
"The Iranian and Turkish nations have many commonalities...Iran is a reliable partner and a good neighbor for Turkey," said Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi who heads the Iranian delegation attending the 23rd session of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission of the two countries.
In order to increase the value of trade ties to 30 billion dollars in 2015, the two countries need to facilitate financial affairs and transactions and implement agreements reached in the joint commission, Salehi further said.
He also referred to Iran's scientific breakthroughs in nanotechnology, stem cells and aerospace as other potential areas of cooperation between Tehran and Ankara.
Turkey's Environment and Urban Planning Minister Erdogan Bayraktar, the Turkish head of the commission, also expressed hope that Tehran and Ankara will increase bilateral economic cooperation.
He said that Iran and Turkey's relations saw a 70 percent rise in 2011 and hoped that new steps would be taken within the framework of the joint commission to help increase the volume of trade ties to 30 billion dollars in 2015.
Bayraktar expressed confidence that the joint commission of the two countries could pave the way for more cooperation in different areas including trade, investment, energy, customs, tourism and communications.
Salehi is in the Turkish capital, Ankara, heading a high-ranking delegation for the two-day session of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission of the two neighboring countries.
Members of the Iranian delegation, who are senior officials from different Iranian ministries, will hold technical talks with their Turkish counterparts to develop new initiatives to increase cooperation between the two countries in different spheres including trade, transportation, energy and industry.
The two sides are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding at the end of the session, which would detail how the agreements between the two countries would be implemented.
Edited by: S. Isayev