TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said Iran is ready to expand its relations with neighboring Turkmenistan.

Zarif made the remarks in a meeting with his Turkmen counterpart Rasit Meredow in Ashgabat on Monday.

“Our commonalities are more than being neighbors and the Islamic Republic of Iran is fully ready to further expand relations between the two friendly and neighboring countries,” he said, Mehr reported.

For his part, Meredow said his country is determined to enhance cooperation with Iran in different fields.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on different issues, including cooperation in international bodies, regional issues, particularly with regard to Afghanistan, holding a joint economic commission, Turkmen president’s visit to Iran, cooperation in the Caspian Sea, transit and rail, and energy and electricity.

Earlier on Monday, Zarif met with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow to discuss various aspects of bilateral relations as well as the most important regional and international issues.

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Zarif arrived in Ashgabat on Sunday for a visit within the framework of bilateral consultations between the two states.

The visit comes one year after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani paid an official visit to Turkmenistan.

During the trip in March 2018, Rouhani signed 13 accords with his Turkmen counterpart in different fields.

MH/PA