Iran Expo-2011 opens in Istanbul

The opening ceremony of the event on Thursday was attended by Iran's ambassador in Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour, Iran's consul general in Istanbul, Mahmoud Heidari, as well as private sector representatives, IRNA reported. “Economic relations are the backbone of Turkey-Iran relations,” Iran's ambassador in Ankara said. Iran's consul general in Istanbul aslo said the four-day exposition will display Iran's capacities in various areas, including investment in the free zones. “Some 91 manufacturers of 14 different products from 15 Iranian provinces will be participating in the exhibition,” he added. Heidari said the exhibition was being sponsored by the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran along with Iran's Embassy in Ankara and the Iranian Consulate in Istanbul. “The exhibition can help development of relations between the two brotherly countries of Iran and Turkey, making it possible to set the 30 billion dollar trade volume target possible,' the official added. The head of the West Azarbijan province chamber of commerce, industries and mines, Keyhanfar, described the exhibition as the best way of introducing Iranian productions to the world and Turkish nations. Pointing to the Iranian and Turkish governments’ desire for development of relations, a Turkish economic activist Hassan Sard called for development of relations between the private sections of Tehran and Ankara. 'This province has good potential, including a ground and rail connections and three border terminals, to help increase volume of trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey,” The West Azarbijan Province Governor Vahid Jalal Zadeh expressed. Iran's exclusive exhibition will continue until September 25, 2011.