Top diplomats of Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan met in Istanbul on Tuesday to discuss ways of expanding cooperation in a host of sectors.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks with his Turkish and Azerbaijani counterparts in the sixth session of a trilateral dialogue before attending a press conference, where he highlighted the three countries' shared position on regional issues, hoping that it will help resolve the problems in a peaceful manner.
"Longstanding relations between the three states show that they share a will to work toward … ensuring peace and security in the region that faces multiple challenges today," Zarif was quoted as saying by ISNA.
He expressed his appreciation of Turkey and Azerbaijan's support for Iran's 2015 nuclear deal in the face of the United States' unilateral withdrawal and stressed the importance of maintaining mutual ties within the framework of the agreement.
"The three states have great potential for cooperation in the sectors of energy, transit, science, technology, culture and humanities," he said, adding that monetary, banking, investment and customs collaborations should also be promoted.
He also called for mechanisms to use national currencies in bilateral trade to protect regional ties from foreign intervention.
Zarif expressed support for the synergy between the three countries' private sectors, saying that Iran would welcome the launch of a "joint forum" for private enterprises.
Joint Statement
At the end of the session, the three countries issued a statement in which they vowed to strengthen their bonds.
The diplomats reiterated in the statement their commitment to Iran's nuclear deal and condemned US sanctions on Iran as an obstacle to international trade.
In the presser, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted that his country has continued its relations with Iran following the US pullout from the nuclear deal and will take any necessary measure in the future.
"We are negotiating with Europe on how to keep collaborations going," he said.
According to Zarif, Iran will host the next trilateral meeting that is likely to be held in a city other than the capital Tehran.
Iran's top diplomat had set off for Turkey on Monday to attend the opening ceremony of Istanbul's new airport that is expected to become the world's biggest and busiest.
