Following last month visit by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow to Tehran,
President Raisi plans to visit Ashgabat, capital city of Turkmenistan, on Wednesday.
Turkmenistan, Iran’s northern neighboring state, is one of the five landlocked neighbors in the Central Asia, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which require secure borders and roads to conduct trade exchanges; and Iran is considered the fastest, shortest and safest route to link the five states to international waters.
Turkmenistan, having 1,200 kilometers joint border area with Iran, is the gateway to the Central Asia; thus, the country possesses a very special position in international trade of the region.
According to statistics of five-month trade exchanges between Turkmenistan and Iran from the initiation of the Raisi administration, the two countries’ trade has reached more than one million tons of commodities worth 300 million dollars, showing 80 percent increase in comparison to the same period last year.
It is expected that Iran’s ranking should be elevated among 10 most important trade partners of the Central Asian country.
--Outlook of trade ties
The 80 percent increase can be translated into a prelude to a fresh horizon of exchanges between Turkmenistan and Iran following 30 years of good neighborliness since 1991.
Authorities of both countries have discussed expansion of trade exchanges to reach 10 million tons of goods, which seems to be a rational prospect.
Presidents and foreign ministers of both nations have held several meetings in Ashgabat and Tehran, and agreed upon finding ways to remove obstacles in the way of improving the level of trade ties.
During last month trip by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow to Tehran, both sides inked 13 documents on political, economic, trade, transportation, investment, high-tech, environment, sports, energy, judiciary, education, research and tourism arenas.
Turkmenistan developing ties with neighbors
Gholam-Abbas Arbab Khales, Iranian Ambassador to Ashgabat, has recently underlined that Turkmenistan is basically a neutral country in international relations and that its government has emphasized that Iran is among priorities of the Central Asian nation’s foreign policy.
The neighborliness has provided both Turkmenistan and Iran with the opportunity to expand their cooperation in transit sector, the envoy noted.
Turkmens count on Iran’s maritime cooperation in order to reach the Persian Gulf by the use of Iranian capacities, he added.
--Development of mutual exchanges
Iranian Lawmaker Nasrollah Pejmanfar described Turkmenistan-Iran ties as longstanding, saying that the relation and cooperation decreased in the last Iranian administration, but the incumbent administration in Tehran pursues expansion of collaborations.
The improvement of Ashgabat-Tehran ties is of great importance for border provinces in Iran, the legislator said, adding that the upcoming trip to Turkmenistan can help affect Razavi Khorasan province and other provinces throughout the Islamic country in terms of cooperating in water, energy and trade.
The representative of Mashhad and Kalat cities in the Iranian parliament went on to say that opening of new border crossing markets should be on the agenda of discussions between authorities of Turkmenistan and Iran.
Deepening of Turkmenistan-Iran ties
Ali Azari, representative of Ghuchan and Farouj cities in the Iranian parliament, said that the 13th administration in Iran has helped increase determination among officials of both countries to deepen bilateral relationship.
Azari added that both countries' capacities for transit of commodities can reach 10 million tons per year, which can be implemented via Bajgiran border crossing.
Razavi Khorasan province has 531 kilometers of joint borders with Turkmenistan, which is located in cities of Ghuchan, Dargaz, Kalat, Sarakhs and Salehabad.
Turkmenistan has four joint border crossings with Iran, including Sarakhs, Lotfabad and Bajgiran in Razavi Khorasan province and Inche Borun in Golestan province.
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