Iran, Turkey considering trilateral trade meeting with Saudi Arabia
Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers held a meeting in Tehran on Sunday, which lasted nearly four hours. According to Iran Daily’s reporter, the two sides discussed a range of issues, including bilateral cooperation, developments in the Caucasus region, Syria, and Afghanistan.
During a joint press conference after their meeting, the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that delegations of the two sides discussed the follow-up of the agreements reached during a recent meeting between the presidents of the two countries.
He also referred to the two countries’ goal of reaching a 30-billion-euro trade volume, saying, “We are now in the middle of the road.” Amir-Abdollahian added that the two sides announced their readiness to sign a comprehensive document on joint cooperation.
Water dispute
They also emphasized the resolution of the water shortage which has created problems for both countries. In this regard, a joint technical committee, which was formed last year, is scheduled to meet in Tehran to continue consultations on the issue, the Iranian foreign minister said.
Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that the two sides agreed on the fair use of the water of the Aras River, which rises in eastern Turkey and separates Iran from Armenia and Azerbaijan. Iran’s top diplomat said that his Turkish counterpart is set to issue the necessary orders to resolve the concerns in this regard.
The Iranian official said that the Turkish side gave assurance that there is no plan in Turkey to limit or reduce the amount of water flowing towards Iran’s northwestern provinces.
Following the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and considering the Arab country’s desire to increase economic relations with Iran, Tehran and Turkey agreed to arrange a trilateral meeting with Riyadh to expand economic cooperation between the three countries, he said.
Regarding the ongoing tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus region, Amir-Abdollahian said that time is ripe to ease tensions and establish peace and enhance cooperation in the region.
Tensions in Caucasus region
The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated Tehran’s support for peace talks between Yerevan and Baku. However, Amir-Abdollahian noted that Iran does not allow any changes in the region’s geopolitics. Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a brief but bloody war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2020. The ex-Soviet countries have been locked in a decades-old conflict over the region.
The Iranian foreign minister also welcomed the constructive positions and positive ideas of his Turkish counterpart regarding the security of common borders, the fight against terrorism, and the return of Syrian refugees to their country, stressing that concerns of Turkey and Syria regarding these issues should be addressed through diplomacy and dialogue.
The Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, for his part, said that Ankara is waiting for Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi’s visit to Turkey to participate in the meeting of the two countries’ Supreme Council of Strategic Relations.
Fidan also expressed his satisfaction with the détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia, noting that friendly relations between Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as the region’s major countries, is important for the stability of the region. He also said that resumption of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program is important for Ankara.
Later in the day, the Turkish foreign minister also held a separate meeting with the Iranian president.