TEHRAN- Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, has emphasized the need to oppose the presence of foreign parties in the Caucasus and called for collaboration and diplomacy to resolve regional disputes.

At a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday night in Tehran, Raisi stated that the best method to combat terrorism is to protect each nation’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

“The effective exercise of national sovereignty of any government over all its territories is the best way to prevent terrorist and anti-security activities,” the president insisted.

Turkey and Syria are moving toward a rapprochement after having their relations broken for more than ten years.

In breach of Syria’s territorial integrity, Turkey sent military there in October 2019.

Raisi also expressed confidence that Tehran-Ankara collaboration will increase under the next term of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, citing the shared cultural and historical heritage of Iran and Turkey.

He said that the joint economic committee between Iran and Turkey would be helpful in fostering trade ties between the two nations.

The Iranian president stressed the significance of dealing with foreign forces present in many regions, including the Caucasus, effectively and stated that all governments in every region should address their issues via communication and collaboration.

For his part, Foreign Minister Fidan said that Iran and Turkey have significant potential to increase their level of cooperation and are capable of achieving the $30 billion goal set for their yearly trade.

“Strong ties between Iran and Turkey will promote regional stability”

In a meeting in Tehran on Sunday between Fidan and Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian, the sides talked about ways to comprehensively expand cooperation between the two countries, especially in the security and economic arenas.

Ahmadian noted that cooperation between Iran and Turkey would serve the interests of the two neighbors while ensuring regional security and stability.

Emphasizing the long history of collaboration between Iran and Turkey, Iran’s top security official said strong ties will help maintain stability and promote security.

“The development of friendly relations between the two neighboring countries will meet the interests of Iran and Turkey,” the security official continued.

Ahmadian also voiced optimism that Tehran and Ankara’s ties will advance to the heights sought by their respective leaders.

He then pointed to last year’s remarks by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei at a meeting with Turkey’s president, who stated that “Turkey’s security is Iran’s security”.

“Iran and Turkey are on the same ship, and the enemies of the two, have clear understanding over this matter, accordingly they are trying to disrupt the process of bilateral cooperation and hinder the synergy of the vast capacities of the two countries,” Ahmadian cautioned.

The SNSC secretary asserted that terrorists who were armed by the West and the Zionist regime have hurt Iran and Turkey, adding that “fortunately, the countries of the region have come to a common understanding that ‘unstable security’ is not guaranteed, and it is not sustainable. Only local mechanisms and regional cooperation will guarantee stable security in the region.”

Ahmadian stressed the necessity of bolstering economic cooperation between Tehran and Ankara, particularly in the areas of energy and transit, adding it would be simple to reach the aim of $30 billion in trade exchanges.

Emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the two nations in addressing Islamophobia and insults to the Holy Quran, Ahmadian said, “Iran and Turkey, as the two large countries in the Islamic world, are obliged to fulfill their religious and historical duty to act against the cowardly attack of international Zionist agents against the beliefs of millions of Muslims in the world.”

He then cited developments in the Caucasus region and Iran’s opposition to any geopolitical change in the region, saying that the holding of the 3+3 meeting was an effective measure to clear up miscommunications and settle disputes between the regional states.

Fidan, for his part, highlighted the interest of Turkey in full growth of relations with Iran.

He also voiced optimism for the beginning of a new phase in bilateral and multilateral collaboration.

“In this regard, the two countries must be careful and be alerted of the mischief of the enemies who have targeted the relations between the two countries with their destructive actions, especially with the use of media outlets,” Foreign Minister Fidan stated.

The Turkish foreign minister also commended Iran as a sizable and responsible country in the region and complimented its contribution to the battle against terrorism.

He also expressed Turkey’s delight over the restoration of ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The senior Turkish diplomat, who was leading a high-ranking entourage, visited Tehran on Sunday and participated in a news conference alongside his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian.