Financial Tribune- Turkish Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communications Ahmet Arsalan met with Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akohundi in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss ways of broadening cooperation in the transportation sector.

“To reach the east of the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, Turkey needs to use Iran’s soil. In turn, we also need to go via Turkey to be able to access the Black Sea and the West,” Akhoundi was quoted as saying by IRNA in a press conference after the meeting.

Problems faced by Iranian transit trucks passing through Turkey, including their safety on the Turkish soil and disputes over difference in the price of fuel in Iran and the neighboring country, were among issues discussed during the meeting. The ministers also discussed plans to connect the two countries’ railroads to their ports. “As of January 2017, we will start technical meetings to discuss the connection of our rail systems to the two countries’ ports,” Akhoundi said.