ANKARA -- Governors general of Iran's Zanjan and Turkish Trabuzan provinces here on Wednesday discussed ways to expand mutual trade relations.

Jafar Rahmanzadeh, referring to the recent visit of Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to Tehran, asked for further expansion of bilateral ties in different fields, economic, in particular.

"Iran, as Turkey's gate to the Central Asia, is of great importance for that country," the official said, adding Turkey plays a key role in Iran's transactions with different European countries.

Adil Yazar, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with the growing trend of Iran-Turkey ties.

He urged the two provinces' traders to try their best for an expansion of economic ties.

During a visit of the Turkish Trabuzan's economic delegation to the Iranian Province of Zanjan in 2000, the two sides signed a letter of agreement to promote trade and economic cooperation.

Iran and Turkey in 2000 exchanged over dlrs one billion worth of different goods, IRNA reported.