APA, Azerbaijan
Jan 7 2010

Azerbaijan and Armenia may join free economic zone on the
Turkish-Iranian border

[ 07 Jan 2010 16:46 ]

Baku – APA-ECONOMICS. Iranian Industries and Mines Minister Ali-Akbar
Mehrabian, heading a delegation, is arriving in Ankara on a two-day
travel to Turkey.

As Turkish media reported, he will meet with Turkey’s Minister of
Industry and Trade Nihat Ergun.

The Iranian minister is w accompanied by heads and senior officials of
the automobile companies, aluminum and steel companies, in particular
the top management of Khodro Auto-making Company.

The initiative to establish a free economic zone on the
Turkish-Iranian border was suggested by Turkish Prime Minister Rajab
Tayyib Erdogan during his visit to Iran in October 2009.

The Turkish media write about the possibility of Azerbaijan and
Armenia joining the project in the future.

Under the agreement, the infrastructure of the economic zone will be
provided by the Turkish side, and electricity will be provided by
Iran. The project envisages constructing new airports, roads and
railways. It is planned to allot an area somewhere between Van and
Igdir to build the zone.