TEHRAN — In a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Tehran on Monday, President Ebrahim Raisi suggested that Iran and Turkey should expand their cooperation to international level.

“Regional cooperation between the two countries should be turned into international cooperation, and given the important position of the two countries, this interaction can be effective in global community.”

The president also said close relations between Iran and Turkey will be in the interest of peace and stability in the region.

Raisi referred to development of relations between the two countries, especially in areas of trade and economy, as beneficial to both nations, saying, “By finalizing the roadmap for cooperation development, that the draft of which is on the agenda of the two countries, Iran and Turkey are ready to upgrade relations from the current level to all-inclusive cooperation.”

The president also said Iran is of the view that the countries in the region are able to solve their disputes without foreign interference, saying, “The presence of outsiders brought nothing but insecurity and tension between the nations and governments of the region, as the twenty-year presence of the United States in Afghanistan resulted in nothing but murder, bloodshed and destruction.”

The president added later it became “clear that Afghanistan's problems could be solved by the people of this country and with the help of their neighbors.”

The president also stressed that Daesh’s actions are detrimental to all countries in the region, saying that as stated by U.S. officials, Daesh was created by them and, naturally, they act upon order by the Americans to kill.”

Raisi said Daesh is acting as U.S. proxy.

Stating that the presence of this terrorist group anywhere in the region is to the detriment of nations, Raisi noted that the fight against terrorism and organized crime can be the focus of cooperation between Tehran and Ankara, and Iran is ready to improve cooperation in this area.

Referring to the Turkish foreign minister's remarks on joint cooperation with Iran to stabilize and develop trade relations in the South Caucasus region, Raisi said Iran shares deep and long-standing religious and cultural bonds with the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

He then emphasized, “We should not allow some foreign actions to damage relations.”

For his part, Cavusoglu said that Turkey considers the new government in Iran as pragmatic and is determined to increase the level of cooperation with Tehran.

Noting that Turkey attaches importance to stability as well as trade in the South Caucasus, the Turkish foreign minister said, “We seek to establish and strengthen joint cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran to increase stability and trade relations in the South Caucasus.”

Referring to the developments in the region, he also called for cooperation with Iran in the fight against terrorism and the establishment of stability and peace in the region.