Pezeshkian: Further expansion of Iran-Turkmenistan ties to benefit both nations
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic Republic is eager to expand ties with Turkmenistan in various fields.
The Iranian president said strengthening cooperation between Tehran and Ashgabat will guarantee prosperity and security of both nations.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting with Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov in Tehran on Tuesday, where they discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.
“Deepening and strengthening cooperation, especially joint and mutual investments between Iran and Turkmenistan, can guarantee the future prosperity, comfort, friendship and security of the two nations,” he said.
He said Iran is keen to import natural gas from Turkmenistan, while it also has the efficient capacity to export and swap gas with neighboring countries.
Pezeshkian underscored the need for building a gas pipeline between the two countries that can support multiple purposes, including domestic use, export, and gas swaps.
“In addition to energy cooperation, Iran aims to expand cooperation with Turkmenistan in areas such as transport, trade, investment, and cultural exchanges,” he said.
Meredov, for his part, said Turkmenistan sees long-term opportunities for economic cooperation with Iran and is committed to enhancing trade routes and border markets.
Meredov, who is in Tehran for the 18th Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, said Turkmenistan seeks to increase the volume of natural gas it transits to other countries via Iran amid efforts by the Central Asian state to use growing relations with the Islamic Republic as an opportunity to expand its energy exports.
Iran has signed several gas swap agreements with Turkmenistan in recent years to supply the equivalent of natural gas it imports from the country to Azerbaijan and Iraq.
The swap deals boost Iran’s ability to increase its supply of natural gas to its national grid customers in the northeast of the country, where key population and industry centers are located.
Iran also imports nearly two billion kilowatt hours of electricity from Turkmenistan each year to respond to rising demand for power in its northeast.
