TEHRAN – President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said here on Monday that Iran and Turkey can act as a link between the East and the West in various economic, political and security fields.

Speaking with the outgoing Turkish ambassador to Iran, Bozkurt Aran, the president said that Iran and Turkey enjoy extensive historical ties.

Besides cultural affinities, Iran and Turkey hold very similar interests in national, regional and international issues, he noted.

Ahmadinejad stated that Tehran and Ankara play a decisive role in the region, the world of Islam and the international arena. The president stressed the necessity to expand bilateral ties in all fields in an effort to fulfill the expectations of the Iranian, Turkish and all Muslim nations.

“In view of huge potentials for promotion of ties and the determination of the officials of the two countries, we are waiting for a jump in bilateral relations,” he observed.

Ahmadinejad also called for joint efforts to implement previous security agreements reached between the two neighbors.

For his part, the Turkish ambassador said that the determination of the high-ranking officials of the two countries to expand ties has led Tehran-Ankara relations to grow significantly especially in commercial and economic fields.

Expressing gratitude over Iran’s favorable stance toward Turkey’s membership in the European Union, Aran stressed cooperation between Iran and Turkey would boost stability and security in the volatile Middle East region.