TEHRAN – Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has said that his country and Iran are determined to fight terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and organized crimes.

The two countries share common views on the political issues and efforts to help establish international stability, Berdimuhamedow said during a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Sunday.

Berdimuhamedow, who has visited Tehran to participate in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), added that Iran and Turkmenistan enjoy friendly relations based on mutual interests.

Rouhani highlighted the importance of “friendly and brotherly” ties between the two neighboring countries, saying, “The two countries have decided to promote the volume of their economic ties to 60 billion dollars in ten years.”

Iran and Turkmenistan share land and maritime borders through the Caspian Sea.

Rouhani said the countries bordering the Caspian Sea should not allow any moves that create insecurity in the sea.

The countries bordering the Caspian Sea are Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Azerbaijan.

------‘Nine cooperation agreements’

Also on Sunday Iranian and Turkmen officials signed nine memorandums of understating at the presence of the both countries’ presidents.

The MOUs include cooperation in healthcare, construction of power lines, roads and railways among others.


NA/PA