BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 18. Turkmenistan and
Iran discussed prospects for further developing bilateral
cooperation, with particular attention to trade and economic
ties.
The issues were discussed at a meeting between Turkmen
Ambassador to Iran Ylyas Gayypov and Iranian Deputy Foreign
Minister Mehdi Sobhani, according to the Embassy of Turkmenistan in
Iran.
The sides also exchanged views on strengthening the role and
importance of the Joint Turkmen-Iranian Intergovernmental
Commission on Economic Cooperation.
The interlocutors discussed the current state of Turkmen-Iranian
relations, prospects for their further development and bilateral
issues of mutual interest. They also reaffirmed their commitment to
developing relations based on good-neighborliness, mutual respect
and trust.
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.
