Senior Iranian and Turkish officials have praised common positions of both nations on regional and international developments and called for further promotion of bilateral ties, Press TV reported.
Iran's Foreign Ministry caretaker Ali Akbar Salehi held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the sidelines of the 19th Council of Ministers Meeting of the 10-nation Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Wednesday, IRNA reported.
During the meeting, the two sides pointed to deep-rooted relations between Tehran and Ankara based on good neighborly accords, cultural values, mutual respect and common interests and emphasized that no obstacles can avert such growing ties.
Salehi and Davutoglu stressed the importance of holding regular consultations between the two countries on regional and international issues, saying bilateral cooperation would play a leading role in tightening security and stability in the region.
The two officials called for the implementation of joint economic projects to promote trade ties within the next five years.
They also exchanged views on the role Islamic countries can play in providing aid to the impoverished people of Gaza and countering Israel's criminal acts.
Salehi arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday and delivered a speech at the 19th Council of Ministers Meeting of the 10-nation ECO.
During his Wednesday address, Salehi highlighted influential role that ECO can play in reducing the impact of the global economic crisis on regional countries.
"The current situation of our region and the world is a special situation, and global economic crises have affected the ECO member states," he said.
The ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey with the aim of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among member states.
The organization was expanded in 1992 to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
ECO members intend to establish a single market for goods and services, much like the European Union.
ECO secretariat and cultural department are located in Tehran while its economic bureau is located in Turkey and its scientific bureau is based in Pakistan.
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