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| Tehran-5+1 dialogue should start if West has sincere intention: Salehi |
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 TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said that talks between Tehran and the 5+1 group (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) should start if West has a sincere intention. Salehi made the remarks during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Ankara on January 19. The foreign minister said that Iran is in contact with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the six major powers in nuclear negotiations with Iran, over the date and venue for talks, adding that Iran has advised Ashton to set a date and venue for talks. Salehi stated that he would like to have the negotiations in Istanbul and added that if the West has a sincere intention, a date should be decided and negotiations should start. If they make any excuses, this would mean that they are reluctant to hold talks, he added. Davutoglu said that he is in talks with Ashton, adding that Turkey is ready to provide any help or any contributions to the resumption of nuclear talks since it is high time for talks and a settlement. Turkey supports Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities The Iranian foreign minister held a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 18. Erdogan insisted on the need for the continuation of talks between Tehran and the 5+1 group, saying Turkey supports Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and wants to see the issue resolved as soon as possible. Cooperation and negotiation with the International Atomic Energy Agency will be fruitful in this regard, he added. Iran, Turkey set $30b trade target for 2015 Iran and Turkey have agreed to increase the value of their bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2015. The agreement was made during the 23rd meeting of Iran-Turkey joint economic committee in Ankara on January 18, which was chaired by Salehi and Turkish Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdogan Bayraktar. In the meeting, Salehi said that Iran is a trustworthy partner for Turkey, the two countries can complement each other, and their economies should be interwoven. Iran, as a reliable supplier of energy, and Turkey, as an industrial country, can have close economic cooperation, he said, adding that providing the necessary facilities, implementing economic agreements, and holding more meetings will help the two countries achieve the trade target of $30 billion by 2015. He also said that Iran and Turkey can cooperate in such a way that they would form an axis of peace and stability in the region. Bayraktar said that the value of trade between Iran and Turkey increased by 70 percent in 2011 and expressed hope that it would reach $30 billion by 2015 through efforts by the committee. Turkey keen to increase economic cooperation with Iran Turkish President Abdullah Gul received Salehi on January 18. In the meeting, Salehi said that the implementation of joint economic projects will open a new chapter in the trade relations between the two countries. He also conveyed the warm greetings of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the Turkish president. Gul said that Turkey is determined to increase economic cooperation with Ankara and called for an acceleration of the implementation of economic projects. Salehi and Gul also exchanged view on the latest developments in regional countries, particularly in Syria and Iraq.
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