Envoy: Iran, Turkey to trade with national currencies

The ambassador said that both Iran and Turkey have enough economic power to be able to trade with national currencies.

Farazmand said that a currency swap deal has even been signed between the central banks of Iran and Turkey which has not come into effect yet.

n a relevant development on Wednesday, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi and his Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu in a meeting in Tehran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand mutual security cooperation and joint fight against terrorist groups.

The agreement is aimed at broadening neighborly cooperation on security issues and emphasizes determination to expand strategic ties and jointly fight terrorism and trafficking.

The MoU also foresees prevention of all kinds of terrorist and illegal acts concerning the two countries, especially in the border regions, and the mutual development of all kinds of law enforcement activities.

Later in the day, the two ministers briefed media on the content of their talks at a press conference.

Vahidi said they discussed ways to improve relations in all fields, including the fight against terrorism, international crimes, and arms and drug trafficking as well as cross-border exchanges and interactions.

Moreover, he said, “more general issues such as the destructive role of the US and the Zionist regime [Israel] in the region, the many problems they have caused for regional nations, [including] the problems they have created in Afghanistan, and the conspiracies they pursue in the region were also discussed”.

“The two countries are resolved to expand strategic relations and new horizons are opening for joint cooperation in all areas. This is a good start for deepening ties with Turkey,” Vahidi said.

“Iran-Turkey ties will speed up. The two states will together end regional stability and foil enemy plots. The two countries will not allow others to disrupt their relations,” he added.

The Turkish minister, for his part, said he held important talks in Tehran.

Soylu added that Iran and Turkey cooperate on the battle against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and other terrorist groups and are determined to eradicate terrorism.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, focused in southeast Turkey.

Pointing to the new influx of many Afghan refugees into Iran and Turkey, Soylu said the two countries are firm in fighting illegal immigration and added that Ankara would examine a proposal by Tehran to set up a joint working group in this regard.

END