nCa Report The National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty [People’s Council] of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov went to Iran on a two-day working visit on Tuesday, 30 May. On the first day of the visit, Arkadag Berdimuhamedov met with President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, Chairman of the Council of Political Expediency […]
Tehran and Muscat step up efforts to launch the Ashgabat Agreement corridor
Director General of the Iranian Foreign Ministry for Persian Gulf Affairs Alireza Enayati announced the upcoming launch of the Iran-Oman-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan corridor, Mehr News agency reports. In an interview with the IRNA news agency, the official spoke about the recent visit of Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to Tehran, saying that serious discussions […]
Iran is negotiating with Turkmenistan on direct gas imports
Iran is negotiating with Turkmenistan on direct gas supplies, in addition to the gas swap. This was stated by the Director General of the National Gas Company of Iran, according to Iranian media. In an interview with ISNA, Majid Chegani spoke about the prospect of direct gas imports from Turkmenistan. “This issue is in our […]
Countries of the North-South Corridor are taking steps to overcome logistical barriers along the route
Last week, a number of countries connected by the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – the main transport artery between Russia, Central, South and Southeast Asia – have taken a number of further steps to simplify logistics along the route, and have also voiced their initiatives to unlock the potential of the corridor as soon […]
NIGC: Iran recorded a surge in gas swap from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan
Iran registered a 358% growth in the volume of swap gas supplies from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan in the previous 1401 Iranian calendar year (ended on 20 March 2023). This was stated in an interview with Fars News by the CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas Industry of […]
(UPDATED) 4th Afghanistan’s neighboring countries ministerial meeting stressed the need to develop joint actions to assist the country
nCa Report Contents China is willing to work with neighboring countries to provide support to Afghanistan TASS: Russia pointed out the unacceptability of the deployment of US military infrastructure in Afghanistan’s neighborhood Pakistan: Afghanistan’s neighbors, all have a vested interest and stake in seeing peace and stability return to Afghanistan Iran: Afghanistan’s geography cannot be […]
Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan agreed to keep up engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government to maintain stability and prevent a humanitarian crisis
On 13 April 2023, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the fourth ministerial conference of the conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, the foreign ministers of the regional “quartet” countries including Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan held a second informal meeting on Afghan issues. The parties agreed to continue building a coordinated and consolidated regional […]
Accelerated pace of Iran-Saudi rapprochement triggers wide-ranging initiatives across the region – Sustainable peace in Middle East is attainable
nCa Analysis Iran and Saudi Arabia are dynamically keeping to their commitment. So many things are happening all of a sudden. As reported earlier, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on 10 March 2023 to restore diplomatic relations. The talks between Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and Saudi national security […]
Statement of foreign office of China on Saudi-Iran deal
The spokesman of the foreign office of China gave a statement on 11 March 2023 on the recent deal brokered by China between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the resumption of diplomatic relations. Here is the text of the statement: In response to the initiative of President Xi Jinping of China’s support for developing good […]
Power transmission grids of Iran and Pakistan connected – capacity 200 megawatt
The power transmission grids of Iran and Pakistan have been connected, announced Ali Akbar Mehrabian, Minister of Energy of Iran, as he spoke to the national Iranian TV on Sunday, 12 March 2023. He said that the work, including the design and construction, was completed in less than a year and the swap capacity was […]
Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to resume diplomatic relations in deal brokered by China. This is great breakthrough with lots of possibilities.
nCa News and Commentary In talks facilitated by China, the Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia and Iran have decided to restore bilateral diplomatic relations. The agreement was signed in Beijing on Friday, 10 March 2023. The signatories to the document of far reaching significance are Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, […]
Special Envoys for Afghanistan called for ensuring the rights of Afghan women and unfreezing Afghan assets
On 7 March 2023, the first meeting of special representatives of the neighboring states of Afghanistan took place in Tashkent. The event was attended by representatives of Uzbekistan, Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Russia, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry reports. According to the press release, the key emphasis was placed on the timely provision of […]
Russia, Iran, Pakistan will do infrastructure projects worth USD one billion in Afghanistan – MOI signed with Taliban
Russia, Iran, and Pakistan have signed a memorandum of intent with the ministry of industry and trade of Afghanistan for eight infrastructure projects with total value of USD one billion, reports RIA Novosti. In addition to the ministry of industry and trade under the Taliban administration, the signatories to the four-party memorandum are the representatives […]
Trade volume between Iran and Caspian littoral states exceeds USD 3 billion
The trade volume between Iran and the other Caspian littoral states was USD 3.03 billion in last year, reports the Mehr news agency of Iran. The volume was 5.54 million tons. Quoting the data from the Iran Customs Administration, Mehr says that Iran’s trade (excluding crude oil exports) with Caspian Sea littoral states stood at […]
Last week Iranian oil ministry delegation had meetings in Turkmenistan, offered cooperation in several areas
An Iranian delegation led by the Deputy Oil Minister for Engineering, Research, and Technology Vahid-Reza Zeidifard was in Turkmenistan for the 14th special exhibition of Iran in Ashgabat. The delegation had meetings on the sidelines of the event, exchanging views with the senior officials of the state concern Turkmengaz, state concern Turkmennef, and the state […]
Petropars ready to invest in Turkmenistan
“Petropars can invest in the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan,” said some senior officials of Petropars while talking to nCa in Ashgabat on 15 February 2023. They include Ms. Shahnaz Lashkarian, the deputy head of engineering and development of Petropars, and the heads of two field projects, Mohammad Reza and Faarshid Shahriary. “We can […]
Remaining section of Rasht-Chelavend gas pipeline will be completed in 2-3 months. It will add 5.5 bcm to gas transportation capacity between Iran and Azerbaijan
“The remaining section of the Rasht-Chelavend gas pipeline will be completed within 2-3 months,” said a representative of the ministry of oil of Iran while talking to nCa in Ashgabat on 15 February 2023. It is a comparatively small pipeline, 150km in length, 42 inch in diameter, and with daily throughput capacity of 15 million […]
Iran proposes fully paid projects in any sector to settle USD 2 Billion gas debt to Turkmenistan
Iran owes Turkmenistan USD 2 Billion on account of the natural gas it purchased several years ago. Now, NIGC, the flagship gas company of Iran is offering to bring fully funded projects in any sector to settle this debt wholly or partially. Reza Nowshadi, the managing director and chairman of the board of IGEDC (Iranian […]
Iran offers to transport Turkmen and Russian gas in any direction
Iran has offered to transport the Turkmen and Russian gas to clients in any direction including South Asia. In an exclusive conversation with nCa on 15 February 2023 on the sidelines of the Iranian single country exhibition in Ashgabat, Reza Nowshadi, the managing director and chairman of the board of Iranian Gas Engineering and Development […]
20 documents signed during visit of Iranian president to China
President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, on his three-days official visit to China, had talks with President Xi Jinping of China on 14 February 2023. Twenty documents were signed. This is the first visit of an Iranian president to China in 20 years. The Iranian and Chinese officials, in the presence of both the presidents, inked […]
Iranian embassy hosts reception to mark 44th anniversary of Victory of Islamic Revolution
The embassy of Iran in Turkmenistan hosted on 11 February 2023 a reception to mark the 44th anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution. Here is the text of the speech of Ambassador Arbabkhalis on the occasion: H.E. Mr. Batyr Taganowiç Atdaýew, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan for trade complex; […]
Oil and gas swap arrangements with Caspian countries are part of Iran’s strategy
nCa Report Iran is working systematically to get into swap arrangements in the oil and gas sector with the Caspian littoral states. This is part of strategy of Iran to become a sub-regional energy hub. In the Caspian region, Kazakhstan was the first swap partner of Iran. In 1996, Iran and Kazakhstan signed an agreement […]
Iran to hold a series of economic and cultural events in Ashgabat
At one of the recent government meetings of Turkmenistan, it was reported that the Iranian Days of Culture will be held in Ashgabat on 12-14 February, and a specialized exhibition of Iran to take place on 15-17 February. Iranian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Gholam Abbas Arbab Khales commented on the upcoming events in an interview with […]
Туркменистан осудил вооруженное нападение на посольство Азербайджана в Иране
Министерство иностранных дел Туркменистана осуждает вооружённое нападение на Посольство Азербайджанской Республики в Исламской Республике Иран, совершённое 27 января 2023 года, в результате которого есть погибший и раненые среди сотрудников дипломатической миссии. Туркменистан заявляет о недопустимости нападения на дипломатические представительства и применения какого-либо насилия в отношении персонала дипломатических ведомств. МИД Туркменистана выражает глубокие соболезнования родным и […]
Turkmenistan condemns armed attack on Azeri embassy in Iran
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan condemns the armed attack on the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Islamic Republic of Iran on January 27, 2023, as a result of which there are dead and wounded among the staff of the diplomatic mission. Turkmenistan declares the inadmissibility of attacks on diplomatic missions […]
ECO Holds 26th Meeting of the Council of Ministers
The 26th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers (COM) was held in Tashkent on 24 January 2023 under the chairmanship of the Acting Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov. The event was attended by: Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov Foreign minister of Iran Hossein Amir Abdollahiyan Foreign minister of Kazakhstan – Mukhtar Tleuberdi […]
Caspian Sea is shrinking fast. Littoral countries are trying to find a solution but it is a global responsibility.
nCa Commentary “ . . by 2100, water levels in the Caspian Sea could drop by another 8 to 30 meters (26 to 98 feet).” This is an alarming quote from a research paper titled, “The fate of the Caspian Sea under projected climate change and water extraction during the 21st century.” It was authored […]
Construction of Rasht-Astara railway line in Iran with Russian financing will connect railway systems of Iran and Azerbaijan
Russia is almost ready to finance the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line along the Caspian coast of Iran. Russia’s State Council Secretary Igor Levitin, accompanied by the senior railway officials of Iran, inspected the proposed track route by helicopter on 18 January 2023. Iranian deputy transportation minister Kheirollah Khademi said that Iran and Russia […]
A container train with newsprint paper went from Russia to India via Turkmenistan
A full-composite container train will deliver the paper products from Russia to India through the eastern branch of the international North-South corridor. A batch of one type of product was formed in this direction in 2022 for the first time, Russian Railways Logistics reports. 32 80-foot platforms owned by the container operator “Russian Railways Business […]
Trade volume of Iran with Caspian states grows in recent months – Iran media
The Iranian media has reported that there has been considerable growth in the trade volume between Iran and the Caspian states in the recent months. According to the Mehr News Agency of Iran, the trade (excluding crude oil exports) with Caspian Sea littoral states reached 4.62 million tons worth $2.49 billion during the first eight […]
Foreign direct investments between CIS countries and China, Iran, Arab states exceed US $75 billion – EDB Report
The EDB (Eurasian Development Bank) has issued a report on the mutual foreign direct investments (FDI) of the CIS countries with China, Iran and the Arab world. The report was issued on 20 December 2022. Here we are producing the EDB story on the report. The links to this story at the EDB website and […]
Iran and Turkmen FMs hold phone conversation
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Turkmen counterpart Raşit Meredow held a telephone conversation last evening during which they discussed bilateral cooperation between Tehran and Ashgabat as well as regional developments. Amirabdollahian congratulated Meredow on the anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality. He then pointed to cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest, […]
Russia says freight route via Turkmenistan to Iran and India is promising
Cooperation between Russia and Turkmenistan in the development of the international transport corridor “North –South” is considered as an important step towards the full deepening of cooperation between the two countries. This topic was widely discussed during the 12th meeting of the joint Intergovernmental Russian-Turkmen Commission on Economic Cooperation, held in Moscow on 7 December […]
USD 40 billion worth of commitments between Iran and Russia, particularly in oil and gas
nCa Report The partnership commitments between Iran and Russia have been piling up this year, with the total tag in excess of USD 40 billion. Most of the deals are in the oil and gas sector although other areas of economy are also included. The bulk of the deals come from the 16th Joint Commission […]
Iran authorities consider relaxing hijab law
According to several media sources, the authorities in Iran are considering to permit relaxation in the hijab law, the dress code that binds the women to cover their head and face in a certain prescribed way. There also the reports that the morality police that were mainly enforcing the hijab law, has been disbanded. However, […]
President of Turkmenistan received the Minister of Energy of Iran
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian on Wednesday, 30 November. During the meeting, the Turkmen leader noted that Iran is a major trade and economic partner of Turkmenistan, occupying one of the leading positions in its foreign trade turnover. In this context, confidence was expressed that the meetings and negotiations scheduled […]
North-South corridor gains traction, but faces bottlenecks and needs investments
Elvira Kadyrova The International North-South Transit corridor (INSTC) actively promoted by Russia connects the Eurasian Economic Union, Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, East Africa and the Middle East by the shortest routes. Its eastern branch, overlapping with the route of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, is one of the essential links. Kazakhstan is making significant efforts […]
Iran strengthens its navy, marine service
nCa Report Iran has unveiled the additions to its navy and marine services. The authorities say that the build-up is purely for the defensive purposes. On 28 November 2022, which is celebrated in Iran as the National Day of the Navy, the civil and naval leadership made public the recent inductions and planned additions to […]
President of Turkmenistan receives minister of oil of Iran
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan received on Wednesday, 16 November 2022, the minister of oil of Iran, Javad Ovji. The sides discussed the key aspects of bilateral cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, emphasizing the strategic nature of the sector in the economies of both the countries. They noted that the colossal resources and […]
Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan takes place without Afghan delegates
Elvira Kadyrova The participants of the fourth meeting of the Moscow format on Afghanistan called for the creation of an inclusive Afghan government and the early unfreezing of assets to overcome the socio-economic crisis in this country — both of these topics are not novel. The Kabul government’s inclusiveness, as understood by regional actors and […]
Iran is keen on opening border crossing between its North Khorasan province and Turkmenistan
The establishment of the of the border crossing with Turkmenistan is very important for the Iranian province of North Khorasan, having a 300 km common border with this neighboring country, said the governor of North Khorasan Mohammad Reza Hosseinnejad at the negotiations with Akhal province governor on Tuesday, 18 Oct, IRNA reports. According to Iranian […]
Iran and Central Asian countries adopted a joint statement on transport cooperation
The first meeting on transport and transit cooperation between Iran and five Central Asian countries wrapped up in Tehran on Sunday, 9 Oct. During the two-day event, the heads of the transport authorities of Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, considered the possibilities of expanding transit cooperation. Deputy transport minister of Azerbaijan and minister of […]
Iran aims to switch to electricity grids of Russia and the SCO countries through Turkmenistan
Iran is working on a major project to connect its national energy system with the power grids of Russia and other SCO countries through Turkmenistan. This statement came from Mohammad Ali Farakhnakian, Advisor to the Iranian Minister of Energy for International Affairs, in an interview with IRNA. According to official, all that is required to […]
Second Caspian Economic Forum in Moscow – Outcomes
From 5 to 6 October, 2022, Moscow hosted the second Caspian Economic Forum, which became the most important platform in the post-pandemic period for discussing topical issues of cooperation between the countries of the Caspian region. The two-day forum was attended by over a thousand delegates and not only from the Caspian countries, but also […]
Turkmenistan to reduce the transit costs for Iranian cargo carriers
From 1 October 2022, Turkmenistan has been canceling fees for transporting transit goods for Iranian trucks, managing director of the Lotfabad border terminal Mohsen Rukni said in an interview with an IRNA. Earlier, a fee of US $1.5 per km was charged from Iranian cargo carriers for transit through Turkmenistan. At the same time, the […]
Turkmen gas is a strategic asset for Iran in its ambitious energy agenda
Iran and Turkmenistan have a lot of room for expanding partnership in the hydrocarbon sector. Additionally, the importing Turkmen gas could aid Iran in achieving its strategic ambition of turning into a regional energy hub, a recent study by the Research Center at the Iranian Parliament found. In light of Turkmenistan’s strive to expand its […]
The Caspian – a unique region of neighbourliness
Sergey Lavrov , Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation On June 29, 2022, Ashgabat hosted an important international event, the 6th Caspian Summit, and I believe it is important to consider the role and place of the Caspian Region in the fairer, more democratic and sustainable multi-polar system that is taking shape today. […]
Samarkand Summit – SCO is a new leader in the emerging multipolar world
nCa Report On 16 September 2022, Samarkand hosted a meeting of the SCO heads of state under the chairmanship of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. For the first time in the history of the organization, the summit was held in such a broad format. The leaders of 14 countries attended the gathering, including: Prime […]
Landlocked Uzbekistan to reach the open ocean through Turkmenistan and Iran
Elvira Kadyrova The transport and logistics cooperation took a prominent part in negotiations held on Wednesday, 14 September between the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran. The parties agreed that the establishment of road transportation along the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran route, the effective utilization of the Chabahar port’s potential, and the facilitation […]
Turkmenistan to join North-South Corridor
Turkmenistan will join the North-South transport corridor established by Russia, Iran and India. The statement came from the minister of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov on Friday (19 Aug) during a briefing at the ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan dedicated to the outcomes of the ministerial transport conference of LLDCs. According to Meredov, […]