Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, August 3 / Trend H. Hasanov /
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed confidence in further strengthening and expanding of fruitful inter-state Turkmen-Iranian relations, Turkmen media reported on Saturday.
According to the report, the Turkmen president's upcoming working visit to Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's newly elected president Hassan Rouhani was discussed at a recent government meeting in Ashgabat.
The inter-state relations of the two countries are successfully based on the best traditions of friendship and good neighborliness, the principles of long-term, mutual benefit and respect for each other, Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary State Information Service quoted president Berdimuhamedov.
According to the Turkmen TV, the President drew attention at the dynamic nature of the cooperation between the countries in the fuel-energy sector. Several projects on gas pipeline construction have been already implemented.
The cooperation in transport and communication sphere is also very perspective.
"A joint project on the construction of "North-South" transnational railway, designed to be not only a beneficial international transit-transport artery from an economic point of view, but also a bridge of friendship and fruitful regional and continental cooperation, is a clear example," Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported today.
"The intergovernmental commission's activity on economic cooperation plays a significant role as an effective mechanism for enhancing and diversifying mutually beneficial partnership taking into account the current realities and perspectives," Vatan newspaper's article said.
Iran and Turkmenistan have common land borders and share the Caspian shores. Neighbouring countries have built two common gas pipelines, power lines, border dam and other facilities. Turkmenistan has been transferring natural gas to the northern provinces of Iran since 1995.
This large scale North-South project is being realised on the basis of a tripartite agreement signed in 2007.
According to experts, the project will give European and Asian countries access to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. A similar opportunity will appear for transit of goods from countries in South and Southeast Asia, from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the countries of Northern and Eastern Europe through Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia.