OREANDA-NEWS. July 22, 2011. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who had arrived in Ashgabat leading the high-level delegation to participate in the meeting of the Turkmenistan-Iran Intergovernmental Commission for economic cooperation, in the Oguzkhan palace complex.

Thanking for the opportunity to discuss key aspects of intergovernmental cooperation during a personal meeting, the guest conveyed the hearty greetings and an invitation to visit Iran at any convenient time on behalf of President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The head of the Iranian foreign ministry congratulated the leader of Turkmenistan on the 16th anniversary of the adoption of the Health State Programme and the Day of Health and Medical Industry Workers.

Expressing the cordial greeting to his Iranian counterpart and accepting with gratitude the invitation to visit Iran, the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused with satisfaction on consistent development of Turkmen-Iranian relations, which had been intensified and filled with a practical content in recent years. The Turkmen leader noted that a critical role in this positive process was assigned to the Intergovernmental Commission for economic cooperation, the regular meeting of which would certainly facilitate enhancing long-term cooperation based on spiritual kinship, mutual understanding and age-old traditions of good neighborliness between the two brotherly nations

Thanking for evaluating highly the work of the Intergovernmental Commission, the head of the IRI MFA noted that a determining factor for enhancing steadily the fruitful intergovernmental dialogue was friendly relations between the leaders of the two states as well as fruitful contacts in the political, economic and cultural spheres. Evidence for that was a steady growth of bilateral trade between Turkmenistan and Iran maintained over the past few years and intensification of mutually advantageous partnerships in the oil and gas, power and water industries, the transport and communications sectors, in particular the construction of the transnational North-South railway.

Expressing the keen willingness of the Iranian business circles to establish closer partnerships with Turkmenistan as was illustrated by the Turkmen-Iranian Business Forum held in Ashgabat this week, Mr. Ali Akbar Salehi said that the necessary conditions, including the tremendous resource and economic potential and the favourable investment climate attracting more potential investors and foreign companies to the promising Turkmen market, existed.

During the meeting it was noted that that the history of relationships between Turkmenistan and Iran could serve as one of the best examples of the balanced, politically thought-out and pragmatic model of cooperation based on equality, mutual benefit and respect for national interests.

In conclusion President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and IRI Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reaffirmed that the two states were committed to promoting long-term mutually advantageous cooperation and expressed firm belief that the centuries-old ties of friendship and brotherhood between the Turkmen and Iranian peoples would be strengthen further.

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