Reuters: Turkey will hold major talks with Iran on energy sector cooperation in the next month and hopes that their negotiations will yield fruit within that period, Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said on Monday.
ANKARA, Aug 18 (Reuters) – Turkey will hold major talks with Iran on energy sector cooperation in the next month and hopes that their negotiations will yield fruit within that period, Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said on Monday.
Guler was speaking at a news conference after Turkey and Iran failed to conclude expected energy accords during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's two-day trip to Turkey last week.
"We will hold important talks with Iran within one month. We hope that the work which we launched before will produce a result during this period," Guler said.
Ahead of his departure from Turkey on Friday, Ahmadinejad had said he hoped the two neighbours would soon sign energy accords. Washington, which is trying to pressure Tehran to give up its nuclear programme, opposes such agreements.
Turkish sources have attributed the failure to sign the accords to new demands from Iran on pricing and investment conditions. Neither side has given an official reason for the delay. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun)
