President Rouhani and his entourage departed Tehran for Ankara on Monday morning for an official visit at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. Rouhani is the first high-ranking Iranian official to visit Turkey in 18 years.
Speaking to reporters at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport before flying to Turkey, the Iranian president reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthen ties with the neighbors.
He referred to Turkey as one of the major countries in the region with which Iran has always had “very good political and economic relations.”
Rouhani made a reference to the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s trip to Iran in January and the discussions on enhancement of bilateral ties at the time, saying he will continue the talks in his visit to Ankara.
According to Rouhani, his meetings with Turkish officials will cover different subjects including Tehran-Ankara economic ties, particularly in the area of oil, gas and electricity, and will also include issues on customs, as well as cultural and tourism sectors.
In his two-day visit to Turkey, Rouhani is accompanied by a number of the cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials.
According to diplomatic sources, the two countries will sign at least six agreements on June 9 in the fields of economy, politics and culture, Hurriyet Daily News reported earlier.