Turkmen president confident of closer ties with Iran
By Aynur Jafarova
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov at a recent cabinet meeting expressed confidence in strengthening his country's relations with Iran, Trend news agency reported on Friday citing an official Turkmen source.
Preparations to hold the seventh specialized exhibition of Iranian goods in the country were discussed at the Cabinet of Ministers meeting.
According to the source, the Turkmen president expressed confidence that the exhibition of Iranian goods will promote comprehensive strengthening of Turkmen-Iranian relations based on friendship and good neighborliness and in the interests of the people of both countries.
Berdymukhamedov also noted that the development of mutually beneficial trade and economic relations with Iran is one of the priorities of intergovernmental cooperation.
Iran and Turkmenistan have common land borders and are neighboring countries on the Caspian Sea. They have maintained relations since Turkmenistan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Iran was the first country to recognize Turkmenistan as an independent nation. Since then, the two countries have enjoyed good relations and have cooperated in economics, infrastructure and energy sectors.
The two countries are linked by several major economic projects.
The Tajan-Mashhad-Sarakhs railroad, the Korpeje-Kordkuy and the Dauletabad-Sarakhs-Khangiran gas pipelines as well as the Dostluk Dam were built through a joint venture.
Currently the project on construction of the North-South railway corridor that will significantly facilitate access of Central Asian countries to the Persian Gulf is underway. Construction of the rail corridor is supported by the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
Tehran has the largest volume of trade turnover with Turkmenistan after Russia. The two countries' annual trade currently amounts to $4.2 billion.
Speaking at an Iran-Turkmenistan seminar in July 2012, Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said Iran and Turkmenistan's trade turnover will increase to $10 billion over five years.
Turkmenistan mainly exports to Iran natural gas, oil and petrochemical products, as well as textiles.