BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 5. Investment in
transport infrastructure could help reduce the time and financial
costs of regional trade with Turkmenistan and Central Asia, Iranian
Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Mehdi Heydari said.
Heydari made the remarks at the Turkmenistan Investment Forum
TIF 2026 in Ashgabat, according to a press release published by the
Turkmen government press service yesterday.
“Targeted investment in the modernization of railways and roads,
bridges, border terminals and logistics centers on the Caspian Sea
will make it possible to significantly reduce the time and
financial costs of regional trade,” Heydari said.
Meanwhile, Iran and Turkmenistan have been working to increase
the use of rail links connecting Central Asia with Iran and the
Persian Gulf. In September 2025, the two countries discussed
increasing transit cargo volumes and activating the
China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, as well as the Ashgabat
Agreement corridor linking Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran with
Oman. They also discussed the Armenia-Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan
route.
The Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran route is another focus of
regional cooperation. In June 2025, the three countries signed a
protocol to develop a multimodal corridor connecting Central Asia
with Europe, with measures aimed at increasing freight volumes,
streamlining procedures and removing logistics barriers.
Turkmenistan's location gives Central Asian countries access to
both the Caspian Sea and Iranian routes toward the Persian Gulf.
Uzbekistan, for example, has been increasing the use of
Turkmenistan's rail and port infrastructure, while Iran provides a
southern route toward Persian Gulf markets. The development of
these connections is part of wider efforts to make regional supply
chains more competitive and diversify transport routes.
