Iran, Turkey to expand consular ties

Iran and Turkey signed a cooperation agreement to increase the level of consular interactions, the English language satellite Press TV reported on Tuesday. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Iranian Expatriates' Affairs, Hassan Qashqavi, and the visiting Turkish deputy foreign minister for consular affairs, Naji Koru, inked the accord in Tehran on Monday, said the report. The agreement is comprised of 16 articles, each stipulating an element of cooperation in different consular matters and related affairs. Both sides agreed to remove problems related to immigration and residency in Iran and Turkey, to provide security for both countries' nationals, to work on police cooperation, academic cooperation and increase of bilateral trade transactions, according to Press TV. On Saturday, Koru and his accompanying delegation held a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi, where they called for strengthening mutual relations in all spheres.