Abbas Araghchi made the remarks on Friday upon arrival in the Turkish port city of Istanbul, where he was set to hold talks with Turkish officials as the US escalates its bellicose threats against Iran and builds up military presence in the region.
Araghchi said that his trip had been arranged in advance in response to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Tehran a few months ago.
The top Iranian diplomat noted that he would discuss bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues, in his meetings with Turkish officials.
As two great neighbors, Iran and Turkey have always had close consultations with each other and maintained cordial relations in various political, economic, social and cultural fields, he added.
“Right now the regional situation is extremely serious, with major challenges in place. The objectives put forward by the US and others clearly require us (Tehran and Ankara) to engage in closer consultations, review regional matters, align our positions, and exchange views on ways to address and overcome these challenges,” Araghchi said.
In an X post on Thursday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced Araghchi’s official visit to Turkey.
He further expressed Iran’s determination to continuously strengthen ties with its neighbors based on the policy of good neighborliness and common interests.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported that in talks with Araghchi, Fidan would stress that historical Tehran-Ankara relations are of key importance to regional security, stability, and prosperity.
Fidan would also emphasize Turkey's resolve to develop ties with Iran in multiple sectors and increase bilateral trade volume to $30 billion, the report added, citing Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
The Turkish foreign minister was expected to underscore that his country was closely following the recent developments in the Islamic Republic, it said. Iran’s security, peace, and stability are of significant importance to Turkey, the report said, citing Fidan.
Fidan would reiterate Ankara's opposition to military intervention against Iran and warn of its regional and global risks, according to the report.
Additionally, the top Turkish diplomat would express Ankara’s readiness to contribute to resolving the current Iran-US tensions through dialogue.