BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 19. Turkmenistan and Iran discussed prospects for strengthening bilateral and consular cooperation following the appointment of Iran's new consul general in Mary.
This was reflected in a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan following a meeting between the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Gurbanov and newly appointed Iranian Consul General in Mary Seyed Mostafa Hosseinipour.
“During the meeting, the sides discussed current issues of Turkmen-Iranian cooperation, as well as prospects for further developing friendly and good-neighborly relations between the two countries,” the report says.
The Iranian consul general assured the Turkmen side that he would make every effort to further strengthen bilateral relations and intensify consular cooperation.
To note, Hosseinipour was appointed Iran's new consul general in Mary in July 2026. Prior to his departure for Turkmenistan, he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who stressed the importance of further developing Iran-Turkmenistan ties, including cooperation in the economic, trade, transit and cultural spheres.
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.
