Tehran, Ashgabat emphasize need to capitalize on capacities to expand cooperation
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with his Turkmen counterpart Rashid Meredov in Ashgabat, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation and reviewing regional and international developments.
Araghchi met with Meredov, who also serves as Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, on Monday, during a one-day visit to the Central Asian country.
The two officials reviewed the latest developments in Tehran-Ashgabat relations and emphasized the need to capitalize on existing capacities to expand cooperation across various political and economic fields.
Meredov highlighted the historical ties between the two neighboring countries, describing them as a solid foundation for further strengthening bilateral relations.
“I am very pleased that, over the past 35 years, since Turkmenistan’s independence, we have maintained steadily expanding relations with Iran in all fields, including trade, politics and culture,” he said.
The Turkmen foreign minister also expressed appreciation for Iran’s support for his country in various international forums.
Araghchi arrived in Ashgabat earlier on Monday at the head of a diplomatic, economic and parliamentary delegation, receiving a welcome from Turkmen officials at the airport.
The visit is aimed at advancing consultations on bilateral relations, regional and international developments, and ways to strengthen political and economic cooperation between the two countries.
In October, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian also visited Turkmenistan to attend and address two high-level meetings, including a summit of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States as a special guest and a summit on the environment of the Caspian Sea littoral states. He said his visit, at the official invitation of Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, will provide an opportunity to further deepen Iran’s relations with its neighbors and reduce the impact of a maritime blockade.
Iran’s Ambassador in Turkmenistan Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani in an interview with IRNA said Iran and Turkmenistan are seeking to expand rail and road transit, activate a China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran route and strengthen regional transport links as part of a broader push to develop independent trade corridors connecting Central Asia with Europe.
Increasing rail and road transit, operationalizing the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran route, developing the Ashgabat Agreement corridor and boosting multimodal transportation are among the priorities on the two countries’ agenda, Rouzbehani said.
He described the signing of a trilateral protocol between Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to develop a corridor linking Central Asia to Europe as a significant step towards achieving these objectives.
Outlining various dimensions of bilateral relations, Rouzbehani said Ashgabat’s adherence to the principle of “permanent neutrality” and its avoidance of membership in military blocs were key factors in safeguarding stability along Iran’s northern borders.
Border and consular coordination over developments in Afghanistan, alongside the expansion of strategic initiatives such as gas and electricity swaps and the connection of Caspian Sea ports, have further strengthened the scope of cooperation between the two countries.
These initiatives have positioned Turkmenistan as a key partner in reinforcing the regional balance and developing independent trade routes amid competition among extra-regional powers.