Turkmenistan, Iran Discuss Bilateral Ties And Regional Cooperation

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, in Ashgabat to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional and international issues, the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

According to the information, the talks focused on cooperation between the two countries and within international organizations. The sides emphasized the importance of maintaining active dialogue between their foreign ministries.

The ministers also exchanged views on key regional and international issues and highlighted the importance of further developing cultural and humanitarian ties.

Following the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining good-neighborly relations based on mutual respect and openness.

Meanwhile, Iran is one of Turkmenistan's longest-standing regional partners, with bilateral cooperation spanning energy, transport, trade, and border connectivity. The two countries share a 1,100-kilometer border and maintain an institutional dialogue through a Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, which regularly reviews progress across sectors ranging from gas and electricity to transport, customs, agriculture, and investment. During the commission's latest meeting in Tehran in 2025, the sides also discussed the creation of cross-border trade and economic zones to stimulate bilateral commerce.

Energy remains a cornerstone of the relationship. In recent years, Ashgabat and Tehran have expanded cooperation on natural gas supplies, including swap arrangements and discussions on direct exports and transit through Iran to third-country markets. The two sides have also advanced cooperation in electricity transmission and maritime transport, while recent high-level meetings resulted in agreements covering natural gas, customs cooperation, port partnerships between Turkmenbashi and Amirabad, and intergovernmental cooperation plans.

Transport and logistics have become another major pillar of bilateral ties as both countries seek to strengthen regional connectivity. Turkmenistan and Iran have been working to increase cargo flows across their shared border, improve road, rail, and port links, and enhance multimodal transport routes connecting Central Asia with the Persian Gulf and broader international markets.

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