Turkish President Hails Iran's Plans to Attract Foreign Investment
Sezer said that the new legislation encouraged the Turkish entrepreneurs to enter into the Iranian investment market in the field of trade and industry. He made the statement at a ceremony to inaugurate the first meeting of Iran-Turkey Joint Economic Commission.
Sezer said Iranian enterprises in Turkey far outnumber their Turkish peers in the Islamic Republic, and stressed that the foreign investment law would encourage Turkish entrepreneurs to take up trade and economic activities in Iran.
The turkish president further highlighted the contribution of a mutual agreement to cut double-taxation for helping speed up trade.
Sezer invited Iranian traders to broaden relations with Turkey, and at the same time called on Turkish entrepreneurs to closely evaluate the status of Iranian market, and try to increase the volume of mutual trade.
He pointed out to Turkey's imports of natural gas from Iran, and said Turkey expects the Islamic Republic to try to boost the volume of its imports from Turkey so as to remove the imbalance in mutual transactions.
Under a 30-billion-dollar deal, sealed during the tenure of Turkey's former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan, Iran would initially supply three billion cubic meters (105 billion cubic feet) of gas a year and increase it gradually to 10 billion cubic meters (350 billion cubic feet) in 2007.
Trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey stood at 1.2 billion dollars in 2001. The trade balance is in Iran's favor with 500 million dollars.
Sezer further stressed that presence of Iranian and Turkish presidents in the first Iran-Turkey Trade Commission indicated mutual resolve to broaden economic cooperation, and depicted their high expectations of private sectors to the effect.
He said that the Iranian and the Turkish nations have lived in peace and friendship in the course of history with cultural affinity, and highlighted the contribution of economic exchanges in reinforcing mutual relations.
The Turkish president described Tehran and Ankara as two 'significant' regional powers, and said any measure to boost relations between the two countries would benefit all the countries of the region as well.
Sezer said Iran and Turkey will have to forge closer ties with each other in all enterprises relying on their geographical proximity.
He described Iran and Turkey as two important gateways to the west, and said this excellent geographical position should be exploited to the benefit of the two countries, as well as to that of the the world.
Sezer, heading a 120-strong ranking political and economic delegation, arrived in Tehran Monday afternoon for a two day visit to discuss issues of mutual interest, as well as several regional and international developments with his Iranian counterpart.
The Turkish president later Tuesday left Tehran for the northeastern city of Tabriz for talks with economic and political officials of the East Azarbaijan Province.