Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, heading a high-ranking political/security delegation, arrived in Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday.
Prior to the meeting of the high-ranking delegations of the two countries, Rahmani Fazli held talks with his Turkish counterpart Süleyman Soylu on various bilateral and regional issues.
The Iranian minister noted the seven meetings between President Rouhani and President Erdogan so far, saying the regular meetings are a good indicative of Tehran and Ankara’s strong resolve to further expand bilateral relations.
Regional issues could serve as one factor for joint cooperation between the two countries’ ministries, said Rahmani Fazli, stressing the need for holding talks on topics of mutual interest and reaching an understanding to develop bilateral ties.
“If we manage to develop our ties in the region, and focus our resolve on regional cooperation, we can then use regional capacities in security, political and economic fields,” added Rahmani Fazli.
He then noted the current conflicts and the presence of foreign forces in the region, stressing that regional issues should be settled by regional countries themselves.
He also said Iran deems Turkey an important and influential country in the region, voicing hope that the meetings between the two sides could further contribute to the improvement of cooperation and people’s lives both in the two countries and across the region.
The Turkish minister, for his part, hailed the two countries' cooperation in joint fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, smuggling of goods, as well as cooperation in improving border security.
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