Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Ankara this afternoon to exchange views and negotiate with the Turkish authorities on the development of bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
According to Turkish Anadolu Agency, Zarif’s Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was also present in the meeting between Zarif and president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan which was held this evening.
Anadolu also said that the meeting was held behind closed doors without the presence of journalists and lasted for about an hour.
The Turkish media have not given further detail on the meeting yet.
Upon arrival in Ankara Zarif told reporters that the Turkish government and the country’s president have very well resisted US pressures.
He added “what we have always been looking for and our neighbors, especially Turkey, have also sought is expanding legitimate economic ties between the two countries regardless of other countries’ desires and pressures, which will certainly be realized.” Iran's foreign minister stressed "we always have had a long-standing consultation with Turkey as a neighboring country and as a good economic partner.”
He further said that “consultations between Iran and Turkey have continued over the past months at various levels, and at the end of next week we will have a tripartite meeting attended by the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia in Iran.”
Zarif said that he was visiting Ankara to explore ways to expand bilateral cooperation and prepare for the tripartite summit in Iran. In the meeting with the Turkish president and his counterpart, Iran's foreign minister also invited them to take part in the upcoming summit on Syria, which will be held on September the 7th in the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz.
Before the meeting, Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters that they would discuss bilateral relations as well as Syria. In response to a question whether they would discuss US sanctions on Turkey and Iran in the meeting, Çavuşoğlu also said that he was not sure but it seemed the Iranian side would do.
KI/IRN83017076
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