A joint statement was released following the 7th Meeting of the Türkiye-Iran High-Level Cooperation Council held at the Sa'dabad Historical-Cultural Complex in Tehran under the co-chairmanship of President Erdoğan and President Raisi of Iran.
In the statement released following the 7th Meeting of the Türkiye-Iran High-Level Cooperation Council co-chaired by President Erdoğan and President Raisi of Iran, a message of cooperation was delivered on a variety of issues ranging from terrorism to irregular migration and the global food crisis.
The statement emphasised the existence and continuation of the parties' brotherhood and friendship relations over the last four centuries and the significance of strengthening these relations on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and good neighbourliness in the light of the current state of their bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments were emphasised.
The necessity to implement the decisions made at previous meetings of the High-Level Cooperation Council was underlined in the statement, which indicated that the high-level officials of the two countries reiterated their strong political will to continually enhance their relations in terms of economy, commerce, and transit pass.
The statement underlined that both Türkiye and Iran had declared their strong political opposition to terrorism in all of its forms, both bilaterally and regionally, it was added:
"The parties reiterated their goal of further strengthening bilateral relations through political, economic, cultural, scientific, and security cooperation, as well as continuous high-level interactions by delegations through visits, while emphasising the critical and undeniable importance of regional and international mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the need for just, fully inclusive, and humanitarian approaches to establish a fairer international order."
Investments
The statement emphasised the parties’ commitment to increase bilateral trade volume and develop new opportunities for economic cooperation by fully utilising existing mechanisms and fully implementing the agreements and regulations in force, including the Joint Economic Commission, the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), and joint cooperation committees in the fields of transportation, banking, customs, healthcare and agriculture; and it was noted that the parties reiterated the importance of providing guarantees and incentives to the two countries' private sectors, including fostering a safe and attractive environment for investments.
In the statement, the two countries stressed the strengthening and expansion of bilateral cooperation in the field of energy, expressing their willingness to encourage private sectors to jointly invest in the infrastructure of regional highways, railways, transit pass, and transportation corridors.
In the statement, it was noted that bilateral consultations should be maintained and joint working groups established in order to strengthen and expand joint cooperation in the fields of protection of the universe and water resources management, stating, "The parties stressed their joint interest in stepping up efforts to deepen cooperation in consular affairs and the need for regular consular consultations; they emphasised the already-existing parliamentary diplomacy between the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its expansion through parliamentary cooperation; they also expressed their belief that political disputes can only be addressed through meaningful political dialogue, not through unilateral sanctions."
Ukraine-Russia war
In the statement indicating that the two countries conveyed their common interest in the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the non-use of force in the face of regional and global issues, within the framework of international law, it was noted that the parties stressed the necessity and urgency of a solution that can be achieved as a result of negotiations, and the importance of joint efforts to address the humanitarian repercussions of the crisis, including but not limited to the emerging global food crisis, expressing their concerns about the negative consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Combatting terrorist organisations
Reaffirming that the two countries condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and bearing in mind the need to combat all terrorist organisations without discrimination, the statement said, "The parties also emphasised their determination to take full advantage of existing and more bilateral mechanisms to be mutually agreed upon in order to prevent the existence and activities of terrorist organisations and organised crime networks along their shared borders."
Irregular migration
In the statement, it was highlighted that Türkiye and Iran stressed the importance of cooperation in determining the root causes of migration and that the development of border management in order to cope with irregular migration movements and, in this context, the importance of increasing coordination between the relevant institutions of the two countries within the framework of the Türkiye-Iran border agreement dated March 14, 1937, and the provisions of the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees.
Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan
Emphasising their commitment to the national sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity of Syria, the parties stated that "the only way to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people is through a political solution" and indicated the importance of implementing the Astana agreements.
Indicating that the two countries should end the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the statement noted, "The parties called on the international community to work together to provide food and other basic needs to the Yemeni people, particularly children; they welcomed the ceasefire reached by the parties of the crisis, and they expressed their hope that it would bring about a permanent ceasefire and a political process to resolve the conflict; they supported the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy in this direction."
It was stated that the parties reiterated the necessity of establishing an inclusive government in Afghanistan that would represent all political and ethnic groups, ensure the safety of all Afghan citizens without ethnic and sectarian discrimination, and effectively combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and emphasised the importance of women's full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion in all aspects of life, which is essential for sustainable social and economic development.
Iraq's territorial integrity
In the statement indicating that Türkiye and Iran emphasised the preservation of Iraq's territorial integrity, the following was noted:
"The parties expressed their support for the political process in the country and the establishment of a new inclusive and functioning government; they expressed their support for the Iraqi government in its efforts to combat terrorism and rebuild the country; underlined the importance of expanding regional cooperation in the fields of economy and trade in order to ensure lasting stability in the region, in addition, underlined the importance of preventing the use of Iraqi territory by terrorists to carry out attacks against neighbouring countries."
Question of Palestine
Emphasising that Palestine and Jerusalem, the most fundamental issue of the Islamic world, were always the focus of their interest and attention, the two countries stated that they promised to support the efforts and actions to enjoy the indispensable rights regarding the question of Palestine. In the statement, it was noted that the parties emphasised the importance of putting an end to all unilateral policies, including illegal settlement actions, and preserving the sanctity of Al-Quds.
In the statement, it was stated, “The parties underlined the importance of the Regional Consultative Platform (3+3) and the necessity of organising meetings for the development of multi-faceted cooperation in the South Caucasus; they emphasised the importance of cooperation in international organisations in which both countries are members, such as the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, ECO and D-8.”