Iran's Mottaki due in Turkey today

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is scheduled to arrive in Ankara today to take part in a meeting of the Turkey-Iran Joint Economic Commission, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported yesterday. During the meeting, memorandums of understanding to improve bilateral cooperation between the two neighbors will be signed, IRNA said, adding that while in Turkey Mottaki will have talks with both President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iran 's failure to meet a Dec. 31 deadline set by the US to accept a UN-brokered proposal to send its uranium abroad for processing has prompted world powers to start considering possible tougher sanctions against Tehran . In December Tehran said it was ready to swap its low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel abroad, adding that Turkey is among the proposed locations for the fuel exchange, but said nothing is certain yet. Last week, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated Turkey's willingness to find a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear program controversy, while also voicing objections to UN sanctions on the neighboring country.