Hosseinpour called for the intensification of efforts to promote bilateral relations between the two countries, especially with regard to the expansion of trade and the facilitation of customs affairs. He said the mutual trust between the officials of the two neighboring countries has thwarted the plots of the ill-wishers to disrupt bilateral ties. Hosseinpour also touched upon the four-decade old peaceful ties between Iran and Turkey and described the two countries as natural and enduring allies. In a meeting with Turkish Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz in Tehran on Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had also said Tehran and Ankara should use opportunities to bolster their bilateral relations, particularly in trade. Ahmadinejad said the Iran-Turkey interactions are expanding and deepening day by day, adding that the two countries have common enemies who are against the promotion of ties between them. Iran and Turkey have in recent years increased their cooperation in all the various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture. Trade between Turkey and Iran has risen sharply over the past decade, leading to Turkey being regarded as a possible weak link in the international sanctions against Iran.