TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Turkish Foreign Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen announced on Friday that Tehran-Ankara trade exceeded 11 billion dollars in the current Iranian calendar year (to end on March 20, 2009).

Such a trade volume is an indication to existence of close economic cooperation between the two nations, he added.
He made his remarks in a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Istanbul on ‘Europe and Central Asia’ (October 30-November 1).
Voicing his country’s readiness to further boost cooperation with Iran in the area of transportation, Tuzmen stressed that expansion of economic cooperation would lead to prosperity of the two nations.
He expressed hope that Tehran-Ankara bilateral cooperation would further boost in all fields.
On transfer of Turkmen gas to Turkey via Iran, he announced Ankara’s readiness to materialize the project.
He also reiterated that Turkey is ready to link Iran to its northern ports via railroads.
The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, called for promotion of all-out ties between the two neighboring states.