Iranian and Turkish officials are expected to make good on the opportunities the two countries missed so far for economic cooperation, head of Turkish Foreign Trade Organization Tuncer Kayalar said on Saturday .

He said that the 19th Joint Economic Commission due to open in Ankara from aims to make decisions to create the opportunities for Tehran-Ankara economic cooperation.

Kayalar made the remarks in an exclusive interview with IRNA to explain the objectives of holding the commission.

The commission will work from Sunday until Wednesday in the presence of Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki, Turkish Minister of Customs and Foreign Trade Kershad Tuzmen as well as a number of Iranian and Turkish senior officials.

"In the upcoming round of joint economic commission, the two sides will explore avenues to expand economic and trade cooperation and new potentials in this respect," Kayalar said.

Speeding up implementation of agreements in the 19th session and making good on the opportunities missed in the 18th round are among the major goals of Tehran-Ankara economic commission.

"Two first days of the commission has been earmarked for expert meeting, and the official inaugural ceremony will be held in the presence of Tuzmen and Mottaki on Tuesday."
The two countries ministers will ink the protocol of the 19th joint economic commission on Wednesday, he added.

Pointing to preparations made by the two sides, he noted that for the first time, preliminary sessions were held in Ankara and Tehran in November and December respectively to outline agreements expected to be signed in this respect.

Iran-Turkey commercial exchanges hit dlrs 6.7 billion in 2006 including dlrs 1.1 billion of Turkish export to Iran and dlrs 5.6 billion of import from Iran, he noted.

Kayalar went on to say that to develop trade exchanges between the two countries, materializing preferential trade system, decreasing import tariffs in Iran, preparing facilities for exporting Turkish commodities to the country, implementing agreements of previous conferences, approving the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA) as soon as possible, providing Turkish companies with the opportunity to participate in Iran's public tenders, and liberating trade transit system should be given priority in this respect.

Asked about Turkey's effort to affirm ECOTA, he replied that the country will finalize the process in a couple of weeks.

"Iranian officials briefed Turkey that they will also finalize it by the end of the current Iranian year (to be ended March 20, 2007), he added.

Touching on other issues of concern in the commission, he said that the two countries will explore subjects including expanding bilateral commercial ties, funding traders of the two sides and developing cooperation in banking system as well as increasing coordination in investment and contracting services, making acquainted with mutual potentials and trade opportunities, expanding cooperation in customs, energy, industry, transportation and tourism sectors.