Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held talks in Ashgabat today with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who arrived at the head of a diplomatic and economic delegation, reported Trend, citing Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry.
The ministers discussed bilateral cooperation, regional and international issues, and cooperation within international organizations. They emphasized active dialogue between their ministries, called for stronger cultural and humanitarian ties, and reaffirmed their commitment to good-neighbourly relations. The two had last spoken by phone on October 26, about de-escalation and regional stability.
The Times of Central Asia notes that the visit comes as Tehran faces Western sanctions and disruption to its trade routes, including attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Turkmenistan matters to Iran for several reasons:
- the two countries share a 1,100-km border;
- Iran imports Turkmen electricity to make up shortages in its northern provinces;
- they run gas swap arrangements involving Azerbaijan and Iraq;
- Turkmenbashi and Amirabad ports link the Caspian to multimodal routes towards the Persian Gulf.
Ashgabat, which follows a policy of permanent neutrality, called an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea in July “unacceptable”.
CentralasianLIGHT.org,
November 2, 2026