OREANDA-NEWS. April 26, 2011. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Iran, who had arrived in the Turkmen capital to participate in the ceremony of signing the Agreement between the Governments of Turkmenistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar and the Republic of Uzbekistan on the construction of an international transport and transit corridor.

Thanking the leader of the Turkmen state for the opportunity of a personal meeting, the guest conveyed the hearty greetings of IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and emphasized that the leaders of Iran as well as the Iranian people always viewed Turkmenistan as a good neighbour and dependable partner.

Focusing on an exceptionally fruitful nature of the interstate dialogue, the high-ranking officials of the Iranian foreign ministry put emphasis on a particular contribution of the Turkmen leader, due to whose efforts long-term cooperation between the two brotherly nations bound with cultural and historical affinities had been brought to a qualitatively new level.

Thanking for the kind words and expressing the best wishes to the IRI leaders, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the development of friendly and good neighbourly relations and constructive cooperation with its nearest neighbours, including Iran, whom we were bound with common spiritual traditions and centuries-old historical and cultural ties, was a priority aspect of the foreign policy strategy of Turkmenistan.

Touching upon the prospects for bilateral cooperation, the Turkmen leader and his guest emphasized that Turkmenistan and Iran had the tremendous potential and opportunities to intensify further cooperation given the favourable geographical location and its role in implementing transport and communication projects of regional and international significance as well. Emphasis was put on the need to speed up the project of the North-South transport corridors that would become the most efficient transport route serving as the new bridge of friendship and cooperation between Asia and Europe.

In this context emphasis was put on a significant role of the Ashgabat summit for foreign ministers of five countries, the agenda of which focused on the implementation of the new large-scale transnational project of the transport and transit corridor between Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman, Qatar and Uzbekistan. It was noted that this project would become a new effective step to promote Turkmenistan’s international initiatives put forward by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly and aimed at diversifying transport and communication infrastructure in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea basin.

The other priority aspects of Turkmen-Iranian cooperation and the issues of regional politics of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.

Upon concluding the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and his guest expressed belief that relationships between the two countries bound with the firm ties of friendship and brotherhood would be developed further successfully for the benefit of the neighbouring states and nations.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Turkmenistan Seyed Mohammad Musa Hashemi Golpaegani attended the meeting.