ASHGABAT (Turkmenistan.ru) – The Turkmen-Iranian Business Forum was held in Ashgabat and was attended by heads and representatives of several ministries and departments of the two countries as well as representatives of the companies and firms of Turkmenistan and Iran.

The presentations made at the business forum focused on the prospects of joint work in the areas such as road construction and road transport, improvement of city infrastructure, oil and gas and chemical industries. The sides said that trade and economic sphere, textile, agriculture, food production and others areas were also among the priority areas of cooperation.

The sides paid particular attention to issues relating to stepping up business relations through small and medium size businesses. The forum also provided space for the meetings between representatives of various agencies and business circles of the two neighbouring countries, as well as discussions of topical issues to work out new joint projects that would contribute to the development of bilateral economic relations.

Iran has the largest volume of trade exchange with Turkmenistan after Russia. The Tajan-Mashhad-Sarakhs railroad, the $139 mln Korpeje-Kurt Kui gas pipeline in western Turkmenistan and the $167 mln Dousti (“Friendship” in Persian) Dam in the south of the country were built through a joint venture. Balkanabad-Aliabad power transfer line and several other projects such as the program of fibre-optic communications development, construction of bunkers and other objects in Merve and a refinery in Turkmenbashi, construction of liquefied gas terminals, highways are instances of growing bilateral relations.