BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 28. Turkmen President
Serdar Berdimuhamedov discussed expanding economic cooperation with
Iran during talks in Ashgabat.
This was reflected in a press release published by the Turkmen
Foreign Ministry on July 28.
The talks were held with Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban
Development Farzaneh Sadegh Malvajerd. "The activities of the
commission are aimed at identifying new opportunities and areas of
partnership and facilitating the implementation of agreements
reached at the highest level," the press service said, referring to
the role of the Turkmen-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission on
Economic Cooperation.
According to the ministry, the sides emphasized that the
commission remains a key mechanism for expanding bilateral
cooperation. Berdimuhamedov also expressed confidence that the
Iranian minister's meetings with Turkmen officials would contribute
to the further development of interstate relations.
The parties also noted the importance of the recent visit of
Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (Parliamnet) of Turkmenistan
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Iran and reaffirmed their commitment
to further strengthening cooperation based on mutual respect and
good-neighborly relations.
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.
