TEHRAN - Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian discussed resumption of electricity trade between Iran and Turkey, with his Turkish counterpart Fatih Dönmez in a meeting in Ankara on Monday, the portal of Iran's Energy Ministry (known as Paven) reported.

Ardakanian who accompanied President Hassan Rouhani in his visit to Turkey for attending Iran-Russia-Turkey trilateral gathering on Syria, discussed possibility of mutual cooperation in various energy sectors with Dönmez underlining the need for increase of electricity trade between Iran and Turkey from the previous 640 megawatts to 1,280 megawatts.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian (L) met his Turkish counterpart Fatih Dönmez in Ankara on Monday evening.The two sides also agreed on establishing a sub-committee on energy under the framework of the two countries’ joint economic committee to support the two sides’ private sectors in the regional markets.

Nearly 40 percent of Turkey’s electricity generation is sourced with natural gas, while the country is an importer of Iran’s gas.

As Iranian officials announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the capacity to exchange energy with all of its neighboring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Iraq.

A high-ranking delegation of Iranian ministers and officials visited Turkey accompanying Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in his visit to the country.

Back in December 2018, Iran and Turkey had announced that they are going to form a joint electricity market committee to cooperate on generation and transferring electricity besides renewable energy plants and regional electricity market.

During the 5th session of the High Council of Iran-Turkey Strategic Relations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran is capable of supplying energy to Turkey in the long run.

“Iran is ready to set the proper ground for the participation of Turkish investors in Iran’s energy market,” he said.

EF/MA