TEHRAN – During a meeting with the national leader of Turkmenistan on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underlined the importance of strengthening relations with Turkmenistan and stressed that this is Tehran’s highest priority.
He stressed that although bilateral relations between Iran and Turkmenistan have seen significant growth in recent years, there are still numerous untapped opportunities for further cooperation that need to be explored.
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that developing relations on the basis of mutual interests is beneficial for both Tehran and Ashgabat. “We hope that with the newly elected government of Dr. Pezeshkian, the issues related to developing relations between the two countries will be advanced with greater vigor and strength,” he said.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to Pezeshk’s strong motivation to develop relations with Turkmenistan, noting that Farzaneh Sadegh, Minister of Roads and Urban Development, in her role as head of the joint commission, will also work to advance the agreements between the two countries to achieve positive results.
Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the remarks of the national leader of Turkmenistan on the cooperation projects between the two countries, in particular the North-South transport corridor and the development of the Turkmen gas pipeline. He stressed the importance of these initiatives and noted that their successful implementation with the involvement of Iranian experts and specialists will further strengthen the strong ties between Iran and Turkmenistan.
During the meeting, which was also attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov described Iran and Turkmenistan as related. “I had good, constructive negotiations with the President in Tehran and I am confident that the agreements we signed will bring positive results,” he said.
The Turkmen head of state remembered the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and acknowledged his significant contribution to strengthening relations between the two countries. He added: “The long common border between Turkmenistan and Iran has always been and will always be a border of peace and friendship, and we are ready to develop relations in all areas.”
Iran and Turkmenistan sign several strategic agreements
At a meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Turkmen leader on Wednesday, the two countries signed a series of strategic agreements, Pezeshkian announced.
“Strategic agreements have been signed between us and Turkmenistan and we hope that these interactions and agreements will lead to expanded cooperation in other areas,” Pezeshkian said in remarks to Iranian media. The president also announced that he would soon visit Ashgabat to check compliance with the agreements.
Berdimuhamedow echoed Pezeshkian’s positive stance, confirming that the talks took place in a “friendly and fraternal atmosphere.” He expressed hope that the negotiations would produce results and further strengthen “fraternal relations between Iran and Turkmenistan.”
Berdimuhamedow highlighted the main issues discussed during the talks, including “gas, energy, electricity, roads and transport.” He expressed optimism that the results will be “positive for the implementation of these plans.”
He also stressed the importance of a joint commission to monitor the implementation of the agreements: “We have also agreed to entrust the follow-up of these cooperations to a joint commission so that it can monitor the implementation of the plans.”
Berdimuhamedow also stressed the importance of these plans not only at the bilateral level, but also “at the regional level.” He invited President Pezeshkian to visit Turkmenistan in the near future.
