FNA- A senior Turkish provincial official in a meeting with Iran's Consul General to Tarabuzan Reza Baqban-Kondori in Turkey's Rize province called for expanding bilateral ties, specially in health and trade areas.

During the meeting on Saturday, Governor-General of Rize Province Erdogan Bektas said that Iran and Turkey should boost their cooperation in economic and medical fields.

Kondori who visited Rize province to introduce Iran�s economic capacities for mutual cooperation discussed economic, trade, scientific and academic issues with the Turkish official to help promote mutual cooperation.

Cooperation between Rize�s Recep Tayyip Erdogan University with an Iranian counterpart University in medical courses was among the areas Bektas called for.

Referring to the capabilities of the Iranian professors in theology, Rize governor-general urged collaboration with a high education center in Iran in the field of exchanging students and professors as well as scientific and research.

Rize province is located in Northeastern Turkey on the Black Sea coast.

In a relevant development in late May, the Iranian and Turkish presidents in a phone conversation underlined the necessity for Tehran and Ankara to increase the volume of their trade exchanges considerably.

During the telephone talks, President Rouhani lauded the developments made in two countries' relations, and stressed promotion of annual trade exchanges between the two states to the targeted goal of $30 billion.

He also called for the improvement of banking relations between Iran and Turkey, and said that bilateral and trilateral relations between Tehran, Ankara and Moscow can help establish peace and stability in the region.

President Rouhani congratulated the coming of the holy month of Ramadan to his Turkish counterpart, and wished health for Erdogan and prosperity for the Turkish nation.

Erdogan, for his part, congratulated his Iranian counterpart on his re-election, adding that Ankara is committed to reinforce all-out ties with Tehran.

Iran-Turkey relations are promotional and Ankara attaches importance to improvement of ties with Tehran, he noted.

There are no obstacles on the way of elevation of Iran-Turkey relations and realization of $30 billion trade target, Erdogan said.

�We showed our commitment to boost ties in the previous Iran-Turkey Supreme Council on Strategic Cooperation,� he added.

Erdogan pointed to the regional cooperation between Iran and Turkey, and said that the two countries� cooperation in Syria talks held in Astana can help establish peace in the region.

�We can speed up Astana talks for resolution of the Syrian crisis with the participation of Russia and other countries,� he added.

The Iranian and Turkish presidents also called for holding Iran-Turkey Supreme Council on Strategic Cooperation meeting in the near future.