TEHRAN - Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Husnu Yusuf Gokalp said on Saturday that they signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement with Iran.
Gokalp told A.A correspondent that he came to Iran with high-level officials of his ministry as the guest of Iranian Iranian Agriculture Jihad Minister Mahmud Hojati.
Turkey wanted to further improve its relations with Iran in field of agricultural production, control of products, and food industry, Gokalp said.
Gokalp noted, ''we could not develop our agricultural relations with Iraq as much as we have wanted. We have signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement with Iran to launch joint fight against pland and animal diseases. We formed executive committees within this framework and these committees will carry out necessary initiatives.''
They also signed agreements on animal health and veterinary medicine with Iran, Gokalp stated.
Gokalp pointed out that they took up animal smuggling during their talks and Iranian authorities were interested in this issue.
''We agreed to arrange international health certificate and reached a consensus on animal and animal products, and plant health. An agreement will be signed regarding this issue. We also took up cooperation in veterinary medicine field,'' Gokalp said.
Gokalp noted that Turkish public and private sector could cooperate with Iran in fields of agricultural mechanization, irrigation technologies and food industry, and especially milk industry.
Iran imported wheat, sugar and barley while Turkey imported kiwi and date, Gokalp stated.
Gokalp pointed out that Turkey could export wheat and sugar to Iran and hoped to increase trade volume this way.
He also met with his Afghan counterpart Hussein Enveri during his visit to Iran, Gokalp said.
Gokalp noted that eight projects carried out by his ministry in Afghanistan were appreciated and went on saying, ''we are conducting projects on plant production, seed development, implementation of technologies in plant production, and animal breeding. Insemination units will be set up in two different places in Afghanistan in order to rehabilitate seeds and increase productivity of animals. These centers will be broadened later.''
Turkey sent technical personnel to Afghanistan, Gokalp said.
He stated that Afghanistan sent technical personnel, engineers, doctors and teachers to Turkey to take training.
Efforts were under way to start cattle breeding in Afghanistan, Gokalp pointed out.
Gokalp said that there was extreme hashish and opium production in Afghanistan and that they were trying to find alternative products to be cultivated in that country.
This initiative of Turkey would be one of the most positive efforts to prevent illegal hashish production, Gokalp noted.
Gokalp added that he planned to visit Tabriz and Mashhad.