Ankara eager to preferential trade pact

The issue was raised in a meeting between Iranian Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Hamid Safdel and Turkish Deputy Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Cemalettin Damlaci on Wednesday. During the meeting, the two officials discussed ways of promoting Iran-Turkey trade ties in Ankara in a bid to finalize the preferential trade pact between the two countries. The Iranian official, who is in Ankara at the heading a five member delegation, said in the meeting that Iranian and Turkish trade officials have held four meetings over the past three months which proves the two countries' resolve to finalize the preferential trade pact. Pointing to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's recent visit to Tehran in early March, he said the fruitful visit opened a new chapter in the two countries' economic and trade ties. He expressed hope that the preferential trade pact between Iran and Turkey would be finalized in Ankara in order to make free trade between the two countries possible. Iran and Turkey are determined to boost their trade exchanges to $30bln in the near future. Iran and Turkey have in recent years increased their cooperation in all the various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture. The two sides have exchanged several politico-economic delegations during the last few months. Meantime, in a meeting with Turkish Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz in Tehran last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had also said Tehran and Ankara should use opportunities to bolster their bilateral relations, particularly in trade. Ahmadinejad said the Iran-Turkey interactions are expanding and deepening day by day, adding that the two countries have common enemies who are against the promotion of ties between them.