Iran's President: Regional issues must be resolved by regional states

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Putting emphasis on the development of cooperation and coordination between the two countries in bilateral and regional issues the Presidents of Iran and Turkey stressed taking advantage of all capacities for the comprehensive development of Tehran-Ankara relations.

In a meeting with the President of Turkey on Sunday during his visit to Turkmenistan, Ayatollah Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi said, "Iran and Turkey can bring economic and political relations closer to the strategic level by improving the current level of trade and exchanges”.

Referring to the wide and diverse areas of cooperation between Iran and Turkey in various sectors, including energy, banking and monetary issues, and trade and commerce exchanges, Dr Raisi said, "We should facilitate the development of economic relations and in this regard, preferential tariffs can be reviewed”.

Emphasising the close cooperation and relations between Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkey, the President said, "The three countries have many cultural, religious and ideological commonalities, and these relations should not be allowed to be disrupted, but should be as close as possible to disappoint our common enemies”.

"Terrorist groups not only cause insecurity in Afghanistan but also threaten the security of the region, so we should not allow terrorist groups such as ISIS and the PKK to threaten the security of countries in the region," he said.

The President said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and we believe that all groups and ethnicities of the Afghan people should have a role and participation in the future of Afghanistan".

Referring to the establishment of stability and security in Syria, Ayatollah Raisi said, "We should use our capacities to create peace and security in Syria".

Ayatollah Raisi stated, "The problems of the region must be resolved by the countries of the region, and the presence and intervention of outsiders will not only not help solve the problems, but will complicate the situation".

Ayatollah Raisi also stressed the importance of stability, peace and respect for the territorial integrity of Iraq, noting, "The Islamic Republic of Iran supports and emphasises the establishment of a strong government accepted by the Iraqi people”.

During the meeting, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also said that his country considers it necessary to develop and strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"We can make a leap in the relations between the two countries, especially in the economic sectors," he said.

"The White House is training and arming all terrorist groups in the region, including ISIL and the PKK, and providing them with terrorist equipment and tools to create insecurity," he said.

Erdoğan said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and Turkey can maintain security and stability in the region with the cooperation of other countries in the region".

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