TEHRAN- Iranian Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammadreza Ne’matzadeh and Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi explored the ways to expand economic ties between the two countries in a Tuesday meeting in Turkish capital, Ankara, IRNA reported.

Ne’matzadeh, who arrived in Ankara on Tuesday on the head of an Iranian trade delegation, stressed the significance of broadening bilateral economic relations and also determination of the two countries’ presidents to materialize the objective of $30 billion annual trade between Iran and Turkey and said any barrier to reach this goal should be removed as soon as possible.

Zeybekçi, for his part, mentioned the preferential trade agreement signed between Iran and his country a fruitful step toward expansion of bilateral trade and commercial bonds and expressed hope that it will lead to signing a free trade agreement between the two countries.

“We consider the role of banks as very significant in promotion of Iran-Turkey economic ties and in this due we have ordered all Turkish banks especially state-run banks to facilitate cooperation and relation with the Iranian banks”, the minister noted.

MA/MG