Global General

Turkey, Iran agree to open new border gates

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-17 16:11

ISTANBUL - Turkey and Iran signed a series of agreements, which included the establishment of new border gates as well as cooperation in higher education, culture and youth, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Friday.

The report said the agreements were signed in a meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian First Vice President Mohammed Reza Rahimi in Istanbul on Thursday.

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The two leaders held a joint press conference following their meeting. Erdogan was quoted as saying that Iran's nuclear program was in a sensitive period.

There are excellent opportunities to resolve Iran's nuclear program issue peacefully. Ankara did not want nuclear weapons in the region but was not against use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, he said.

Rahimi said that Turkey's and Iran's special status can help develop peace and security in the region. Turkey and Iran were two powerful countries in the region with a special status.

"We hope to reactivate the great Silk Road with railways. We want to connect eastern Asia with Iran and Turkey and later with Europe," Rahimi added.

The two sides also held a Turkish-Iranian Business Forum on the same day.