FM Zarif Wraps Up Four-Nation Central Asia Visit

Date: 09 April 2021 - 22:06

News ID: ۸۸۹۸۱

AGHGABAT (Dispatches) – Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif has met with top Turkmen officials in Ashgabat, where they discussed the latest regional and bilateral developments.
Zarif, concluding his Central Asian tour, met on Thursday with his Turkmen counterpart, Rasit Meredow, during which he praised Tehran-Ashgabat political, economic and cultural relations as positive.
The Iranian foreign minister underlined the necessity of boosting the two countries’ environmental ties, especially with regard to the Caspian Sea, as well as bilateral cooperation in transportation.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on cooperation in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), considering the periodic presidency of Turkmenistan in the organization.
Meredow, for his part, stressed the importance of bilateral relations, pointed to the achievements of such ties in different fields, and underscored the need to materialize the available potential in order to expand all-out ties and hold the next round of the joint commission on economic cooperation.
The peace process in Afghanistan, cooperation in regional and international organizations and multilateral cooperation in the region were among other topics discussed by the two foreign ministers.
Zarif and Meredow signed a cooperation document.
The Iranian foreign minister also met with Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to discuss political, economic and cultural relations.
During the meeting, Zarif stressed

the importance of ties between the two neighboring countries. For his part, Berdimuhamedow voiced his support for bilateral ties in political, economic and cultural spheres.
He also highlighted his country’s determination to expand bilateral relations.
Zarif visited Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan before heading to Turkmenistan as the last leg of his tour aimed at enhancing bilateral and regional cooperation.
In a tweet on Thursday evening, Zarif wrote that he concluded his Central Asian tour with a "superb” visit to Turkmenistan.
He also said Central Asian nations are not just neighbors but they are also kin.
Zarif earlier said Iran and Kazakhstan have many common goals when it comes to global nuclear disarmament and regional stability.
In a post on his Twitter account on Thursday, Zarif hailed his "substantive and fruitful meetings” with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi which were held in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan on Wednesday during his third leg of a four-nation Central Asian tour.
"Our two countries share many objectives on regional stability and global nuclear disarmament,” the top Iranian diplomat said.
In his tweet, Zarif once again highlighted the top priority of the neighboring states in Iran’s foreign policy.
During a meeting between Zarif and Tokayev in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, formerly called Astana, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and the latest developments surrounding the peace processes in Afghanistan and Syria in addition to Iran’s nuclear deal.
"Excellent talks were held on important regional and international issues, and we thank Kazakhstan for its support of the Islamic Republic of Iran on international fronts,” he said.
The Iranian and Kazakh foreign ministries also signed a 15-article document for cooperation between the two countries aimed at reinforcing friendly, fraternal and neighborly relations based on mutual respect and trust.