Iran and Turkmenistan agreed to draw up a joint action plan to expand rail cooperation and raise annual transit volumes to 20 million tons, including 6.0 million tons by rail, during talks between their transport ministers in Tehran on Sunday.Mammet Akmammedov, Turkmenistan’s railway minister, to discuss completing cross-border rail links, reviving regional agreements and activating transit corridors.Sadegh said boosting rail and transit cooperation would transform trade flows in the wider region.“Transit ties between Iran and Turkmenistan are not limited to the two countries, but will reshape the flow of transport and commerce across the region,” she said.The ministers agreed to finalize a joint plan between Iran Railways and Turkmenistan Railways to reach the 20-million-ton target, with Jabarali Zakari, Iran Railways head, tasked with preparing the roadmap.Sadegh also called for activating the China–Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan–Iran rail corridor, which she said would “change the future of the region,” and backed the revival of the ECO rail route linking Almaty, Tashkent, Tehran and Istanbul. She further urged restoration of the Ashgabat Agreement, a 2016 transport accord among Central and South Asian states to connect the region to the Persian Gulf.She voiced support for Turkmenistan’s permanent membership in the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and highlighted the need to launch a Mashhad–Mary passenger train. Iran also pressed for higher rail capacity at border crossings, proposing daily exchanges of 400 wagons at Sarakhs and 150 at Incheh-Boron.Akmammedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation, pledging investment in cross-border lines and efforts to attract Russian and Belarusian freight through Incheh-Boron.Iran and Turkmenistan signed a commercial roadmap on May 21 aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $3.0 billion.The agreement was signed in Tehran by Iran’s Minister of Transport and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh and Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov following the 18th session of the Iran-Turkmenistan Joint Economic Committee. Sadegh said the recent committee meeting marked a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, stressing that intensive talks had yielded fresh approaches and agreements to expand trade. “The trade roadmap is expected to be finalized before the Iranian president’s upcoming visit to Turkmenistan,” she added.The minister highlighted the strategic location of both countries within the North–South and East–West corridors, describing them as critical to regional connectivity. She noted that Iran and Turkmenistan had agreed to aim for 20 million tons in transit volumes, with a 16-million-ton target set for 2028.Other key understandings included plans to establish joint free trade zones in Sarakhs-Sarakhs and Lotfabad-Artiq, strengthen border markets—especially in Incheh Borun—and prepare a bilateral gas contract. The roadmap also calls for constructing the Qamdaq–Atrak road toward the Iranian border and building a gas pipeline to Turkmenistan.Agreements were also reached on developing a third electricity transmission line between Mary and Sarakhs and launching feasibility studies for a fourth. “If both sides follow through, the 18th committee will open up new avenues for economic and cultural cooperation,” Sadegh said.Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov thanked Iranian officials for their hospitality, stating that bilateral relations are at a high level. “The close dialogue between the two presidents is grounded in mutual trust, which plays a pivotal role in advancing ties,” he said. (ICE TEHERAN)

Fonte notizia: Tehran Times