President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Iran Hassan Rouhani held the talks in Tehran on November 22.
The State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH) reports that the leaders of the two countries had the one-on-one talks. Then the government delegations of Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the talks. A substantial exchange of views on a wide range of aspects of cooperation in a bilateral format as well as within major international organisations took place during the meeting. Some topical issues of regional and international politics of mutual interest were discussed. The figures of commodity turnover between the two countries vividly illustrate the tremendous potential of Turkmen-Iranian partnership. In January-September this year, the volume of commodity turnover between the two countries exceeded US$2.62 billion. This figure is 2.2 per cent higher than that observed in the same period in 2014. The agreement to increase the volume of commodity turnover between the two countries to US$ 60 billion within the next decade was reached during the visit of the IRI President to Turkmenistan in March this year.
In this regard, the Turkmen leader suggested that a long-term programme of bilateral trade and economic cooperation should be developed.
The Turkmen leader invited the representatives of Iran’s business circles to consider the possibility of placing production facilities in our country. The successful on-going economic reform in Turkmenistan is contributing to the development of new industries and construction of large-scale enterprises, thus facilitating cooperation with Iranian businessmen in the deliveries of products to the world and regional markets.
The fact that Turkmenistan and Iran rank among the countries with the world’s largest oil and natural gas reserves as well as among the world’s top energy producers facilitates our effective cooperation in achieving energy security.
Our countries also promote fruitful cooperation in other sectors of the economy and have implemented a number of ambitious projects. The Turkmen leader mentioned Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway on the North-South route put into operation late last year among the major interstate projects. This railway is to encourage transportation on the Eurasian continent and provide European countries with access to the Baltic Sea ports, commodity and raw materials markets in the Middle East and the states in the Indian Ocean region.
Turkmenistan and Iran are also actively involved in building international transport corridors in the east-west direction. The examples include the joint work under the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman transport corridor project.
Another major and important theme under discussion is cooperation on the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan and Iran are actively involved in negotiating the legal status of the Caspian Sea and put forward initiatives that underlie the solid legal framework which regulates relations in various fields between the five littoral states in the Caspian Sea.
The ambitious project for the modernisation of the Turkmenbashi international seaport is to facilitate water transportation with the Iranian ports Anzali and Neka on the Caspian Sea as well as to significantly increase freight traffic to pass through the port of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gulf in the south.
With the view to improve connections between the sea ports and more effectively utilize the tremendous capacity of Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed to establish Turkmenistan-Iran Intergovernmental Transportation Coordinating Committee and hold the first international meeting on seaport capacity building of the Caspian states in Turkmenistan.
Emphasis was also placed on the paramount importance of creating and developing regional and interregional road networks. The two leaders also agreed to double the daily average number of vehicles passing through the border check-points on Turkmen-Iranian border, namely up to 1,000 vehicles. In this context, the construction of Serahs-Tejen highway and the Serahs-Serahs highway bridge over the Tejen River is of paramount importance.
After the talks had been concluded and the Joint Statement had been signed, the ceremony of signing bilateral documents took place.
These included the intergovernmental memoranda on cooperation in merchant shipping in the Caspian Sea, the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway project and the construction of a Mary-Mashhad power line. The memoranda of understanding on cooperation in health care and medical science, sports, postal services, rail transportation, standardization and metrology and TV and radio broadcasting were signed at the interagency level.
Addressing the press conference, President Hassan Rouhani focused on the fruitful nature of the talks and noted in particular that the specific proposals for partnership in the gas and power, transport and communications, road and railway construction, agriculture, tourism and other sectors had been discussed.
The Iranian leader also touched upon the water issues, the aspects of partnership on the Caspian Sea, including the possibility of joint exploration and development of cross-border oil and gas fields and more active cooperation between seaports of the two friendly countries and the progress in determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
Addressing the press conference, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov highly evaluated the talks in Tehran, stressing that the aims of the visit to Iran had been achieved.
The State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH) reports that the leaders of the two countries had the one-on-one talks. Then the government delegations of Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the talks. A substantial exchange of views on a wide range of aspects of cooperation in a bilateral format as well as within major international organisations took place during the meeting. Some topical issues of regional and international politics of mutual interest were discussed. The figures of commodity turnover between the two countries vividly illustrate the tremendous potential of Turkmen-Iranian partnership. In January-September this year, the volume of commodity turnover between the two countries exceeded US$2.62 billion. This figure is 2.2 per cent higher than that observed in the same period in 2014. The agreement to increase the volume of commodity turnover between the two countries to US$ 60 billion within the next decade was reached during the visit of the IRI President to Turkmenistan in March this year.
In this regard, the Turkmen leader suggested that a long-term programme of bilateral trade and economic cooperation should be developed.
The Turkmen leader invited the representatives of Iran’s business circles to consider the possibility of placing production facilities in our country. The successful on-going economic reform in Turkmenistan is contributing to the development of new industries and construction of large-scale enterprises, thus facilitating cooperation with Iranian businessmen in the deliveries of products to the world and regional markets.
The fact that Turkmenistan and Iran rank among the countries with the world’s largest oil and natural gas reserves as well as among the world’s top energy producers facilitates our effective cooperation in achieving energy security.
Our countries also promote fruitful cooperation in other sectors of the economy and have implemented a number of ambitious projects. The Turkmen leader mentioned Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway on the North-South route put into operation late last year among the major interstate projects. This railway is to encourage transportation on the Eurasian continent and provide European countries with access to the Baltic Sea ports, commodity and raw materials markets in the Middle East and the states in the Indian Ocean region.
Turkmenistan and Iran are also actively involved in building international transport corridors in the east-west direction. The examples include the joint work under the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman transport corridor project.
Another major and important theme under discussion is cooperation on the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan and Iran are actively involved in negotiating the legal status of the Caspian Sea and put forward initiatives that underlie the solid legal framework which regulates relations in various fields between the five littoral states in the Caspian Sea.
The ambitious project for the modernisation of the Turkmenbashi international seaport is to facilitate water transportation with the Iranian ports Anzali and Neka on the Caspian Sea as well as to significantly increase freight traffic to pass through the port of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gulf in the south.
With the view to improve connections between the sea ports and more effectively utilize the tremendous capacity of Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed to establish Turkmenistan-Iran Intergovernmental Transportation Coordinating Committee and hold the first international meeting on seaport capacity building of the Caspian states in Turkmenistan.
Emphasis was also placed on the paramount importance of creating and developing regional and interregional road networks. The two leaders also agreed to double the daily average number of vehicles passing through the border check-points on Turkmen-Iranian border, namely up to 1,000 vehicles. In this context, the construction of Serahs-Tejen highway and the Serahs-Serahs highway bridge over the Tejen River is of paramount importance.
After the talks had been concluded and the Joint Statement had been signed, the ceremony of signing bilateral documents took place.
These included the intergovernmental memoranda on cooperation in merchant shipping in the Caspian Sea, the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway project and the construction of a Mary-Mashhad power line. The memoranda of understanding on cooperation in health care and medical science, sports, postal services, rail transportation, standardization and metrology and TV and radio broadcasting were signed at the interagency level.
Addressing the press conference, President Hassan Rouhani focused on the fruitful nature of the talks and noted in particular that the specific proposals for partnership in the gas and power, transport and communications, road and railway construction, agriculture, tourism and other sectors had been discussed.
The Iranian leader also touched upon the water issues, the aspects of partnership on the Caspian Sea, including the possibility of joint exploration and development of cross-border oil and gas fields and more active cooperation between seaports of the two friendly countries and the progress in determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
Addressing the press conference, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov highly evaluated the talks in Tehran, stressing that the aims of the visit to Iran had been achieved.