Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen met Iran's foreign minister in Tehran on Wednesday. Tuzmen said they wanted to increase the trade volume between Turkey and Iran to 20 billion USD by 2011.

- 08 / 05 / 2008 08:15

Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen met Iran's foreign minister in Tehran on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tuzmen said they wanted to increase the trade volume between Turkey and Iran to 20 billion USD by 2011.

"We want at least 7 billion USD of this amount to be recorded as Turkish exports. The connection of land, sea and air routes and the arrangements at border gates are very important. The most important of all is the signing of a preferential trade agreement with Iran and giving momentum to relations in the scope of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)," said Tuzmen.

Tuzmen said the Ministerial Summit of ECO would be held in Turkish city of Mersin on June 1st.

Turkey sent a formal delegation of state officials and businessmen headed by Tuzmen to Iran on Tuesday aiming to assess economic and commercial relations and create further opportunities of cooperation.

Tuzmen will also meet Iranian ministers of commerce, oil, transportation, industry and co-chair Turkey-Iran Commercial and Economic Relations seminar together with Iranian Minister of Commerce Masoud Mirkazemi.