Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined Ankara’s eagerness to hold the Joint Economic Commission meeting with Tehran.

“Turkey is eagerly waiting for the upcoming visit by Turkish Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) to Tehran and Dr. (Hassan) Rouhani’s trip to Turkey as well as holding the two countries’ Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, and we are willing to organize mutual cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran within the framework of a Higher Commission of Cooperation,” Davutoglu said during the meeting in Istanbul on Saturday.

He called energy, transportation, cultural exchanges, border issues and facilitating consulate affairs as good areas for cooperation.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to hold their 24th Joint Economic Commission in Turkey on January 13-14.

Iran and Turkey have been expanding their bilateral relations, specially in trade and energy fields throughout the last decade. Trade between Turkey and Iran has risen sharply over the past decade.

Iran-Turkey trade value exceeded $22bln 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.
 

News ID 185991