Mahdi Heidari, Deputy Minister of Economy and head of Iran’s Organization for Investment, made the remarks at the Ashgabat Investment Forum, calling for expanded joint investment, infrastructure development, technological cooperation and greater private-sector participation.
He said Iran and Turkmenistan could open a new chapter in economic cooperation by strengthening connections among Central Asia, the Caspian region, the Persian Gulf and global markets through major transport corridors and regional value chains.
Heidari noted that Iran could provide Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries with access to the Persian Gulf, open waters and Middle Eastern markets, while Turkmenistan and Central Asia could expand Iran’s access to the Eurasian economic space.
He identified energy, transit and logistics, agriculture and food industries, and industrial investment in free and special economic zones as key areas for cooperation. Gas swaps, energy transmission and storage, refining and petrochemicals were among the energy projects highlighted.
Heidari also emphasized linking Central Asian agricultural production with Iran’s processing, packaging and distribution capacities, saying the cooperation could support joint access to regional and international markets.
He stressed Iran’s readiness to move from presenting general investment opportunities to examining feasibility-studied, investment-ready projects with Turkmenistan, Central Asian countries and CIS members, with the aim of developing infrastructure and regional value chains.