ERZURUM, Jan 23 (A.A) - Energy and Natural Resources Minister Zeki Cakan said on Wednesday that Iran wanted to import gasoline from Turkey.
Cakan who had attended official opening of Iran-Turkey natural gas pipeline on Tuesday, held a press conference in eastern province of Erzurum and answered questions of reporters.
Responding a question about the meetings held during Tuesday's official opening ceremony that had been held in the Iranian side of the Turkish-Iranian border, Cakan said that the foreign trade balance had change in favor of Iran together with transfer of Iranian natural gas to Turkey.
Recalling that he had conveyed his opinions about protection of foreign trade balances to the Iranian Oil Minister, Cakan said that the Iranian minister had told him that they could import gasoline from Turkey.
Noting that Iran annually imported 800-850 million U.S. dollars of gasoline, Cakan said that he would convey the matter to the relevant ministers and organizations.
Noting that Turkey had developed bilateral relations with its neighboring countries, Cakan said that efforts were under way to consolidate relations with Iran in a balanced way which was in favor of both countries.
Responding a question about his contacts in the United States, Cakan said that they had met with U.S. President George W. Bush and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and that they had told that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project should absolutely be implemented and the United States would give every possible support to this end.