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, […]
First Russian rail transit cargo traveling along the North-South corridor arrived in Iran
The first transit train from Russia, heading for India along the North-South corridor, arrived in Iran on Tuesday through the Sarakhs crossing at the border with Turkmenistan. The pilot train consisting of 40 forty-foot containers loaded with building materials will run 8,000 km and reach the Indian port of Nhava Sheva via Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, […]
Ashgabat Summit: Caspian countries reaffirmed a shared vision for strong friendship and cooperation
nCa Report On 29 June 2022, the Presidents of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and Vladimir Putin of Russia met in Ashgabat for the 6th Summit of Heads of Caspian States. The summit, held in narrow and expanded formats, discussed the issues of interaction between […]
Regional Leaders congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on his birthday
Before the start of the Caspian Summit, the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Iran met with the ex-President of Turkmenistan Arkadag Berdimuhamedov, who celebrated his 65th birthday on 29 June. Presidents Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, head of upper house of Russian parliament Valentina Matvienko congratulated him […]
FMs agreed on a package of documents for the Caspian Summit
The foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral countries at a meeting in Ashgabat (28 Jun) agreed on a number of documents and Communique to be adopted during the Caspian Summit scheduled for today (29 June). Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Hossein Amir […]
Turkmenistan permitted the transit of goods through another Iranian border crossing
From 4 July 2022, the Turkmen authorities have allowed transit trucks to cross the Lotfabad checkpoint (Iran) in the city of Derregez in northeastern Iran in order to transport goods to Central Asian countries. The statement came from the head of the Transit and Road Transportation Department of Khorasan Razavi province Mortez Mojaradi. The agreement […]
Iranian, Russian and Kazakhstan leaders to visit Ashgabat for Caspian summit
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to travel to Ashgabat on Wednesday, 29 June, to attend a Summit of Caspian Sea littoral states. According to Iranian media, the president will head a high-level economic delegation to Turkmenistan’s capital. The press service of Kazakhstani president has already confirmed visit of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Ashgabat. Earlier, Kremlin’s […]
Turkmen FM discussed with his Iranian counterpart upcoming Caspian Summit
The forthcoming Summit of the Caspian littoral states in Ashgabat and the implementation of bilateral agreements were discussed during the telephone talks of foreign minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov with his Iranian counterpart Amir Abdullahyan. Referring to the recent meeting of the two presidents in Tehran, Iranian foreign minister called the visit a turning point […]
President of Turkmenistan paid an official visit to Iran – Leaders agreed to sign strategic cooperation document for 20 years
nCa Report On 15 June 2022, the summit talks were held in Tehran between President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President of Iran Seyed Ebrahim Raisi. The leaders of the two neighboring countries held meetings in a one-on-one format and in an expanded format with the participation of delegations. Tete-a-tete talks Iran is sincerely proud […]
Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan met his Iranian counterpart
The foreign minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met Tuesday, 14 Jun, with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amirabdollahian. The meeting discussed issues of mutual interest, ahead of a visit by Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to Iran, said Iranian foreign ministry in a press release. Amirabdollahian once again offered congratulations to Turkmenistan on the successful holding of […]
Working Group on the Caspian Sea met in Iran
On 23-24 May 2022, the fourth meeting of the High-level Working Group on the Caspian Sea was held in Tehran, the foreign ministry of Kazakhstan said in a press release. The negotiations were attended by delegations of the Caspian five – Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. In accordance with the agenda of the meeting, […]
Third Ministerial Meeting of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries – Outcomes
Elvira Kadyrova On 31 March 2022, the third ministerial conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries took place in the Chinese city of Tunxi, which was attended by Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Heads of participating delegations: Russia – minister of foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov China – chairman of the meeting – state councilor, […]
MFA China: More details on Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries meeting
Elvira Kadyrova During regular press conference on Monday, 28 Mar, foreign ministry of China briefed on upcoming ministerial conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan in Tunxi, Anhui on 30-31 March 2022. Foreign Ministers or representatives […]
China to host ministerial conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries
On 31 March 2022, Tunxi, China, will host the third ministerial conference of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, including Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the coordination of regional efforts on humanitarian and socioeconomic assistance to Afghanistan. The parties will compare approaches to countering the threats of […]
Ashgabat hosts 25th ECO Summit
The 15th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) was held in the capital today [28 Nov] under the chairmanship of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The venue for the high-level meeting was a new fashionable hotel with a multi-profile business center “Garagum”, where all conditions have been created both for receiving distinguished guests and for holding […]
ECO Business Forum
Elvira Kadyrova Turkmenistan stroke worth over US $45 million deals with ECO partners Turkmenistan signed contracts worth over US $ 45 million following the business forum of the Economic Cooperation Organization, hosted by Ashgabat on 26 November, reported TDH news agency. The oil and gas complex of Turkmenistan has signed deals valued at US $11 […]
FMs of the neighboring countries of Afghanistan met in Tehran
Elvira Kadyrova On 27 October 2021, the second meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries bordering Afghanistan took place in Tehran, Iran. The foreign ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan attended in hybrid format the ministerial meeting. The disastrous withdrawal of the US-NATO troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent rise […]
President of Turkmenistan met with the leaders of Tajikistan and Iran in Dushanbe
Elvira Kadyrova On Friday, 17 September 2021, President Berdimuhamedov paid a working visit to Tajikistan to participate in SCO anniversary summit in Dushanbe as an honorary guest. On the sidelines of the visit, the Turkmen leader met with his Tajik and Iranian counterparts. Meeting with the President of Iran President Berdimuhamedov congratulated President of the […]
SCO Anniversary Summit in Dushanbe: the outcomes of 20 years summed up, goals for greater Eurasian cooperation outlined
Elvira Kadyrova On 17 September 2021, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit was held in Dushanbe, dedicated to the twentieth jubilee of the organization. The session of the SCO Council of Heads of Member States, held under the chairmanship of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, was attended by: President Xi Jinping of China Prime Minister of India Narendra […]
Pakistani FM intends to visit the neighbors of Afghanistan
Elvira Kadyrova On 25-27 August 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, is likely to visit the countries bordering Afghanistan. This was reported by several Pakistani media, citing diplomatic sources. The main purpose of the visit to Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran will be discussion of the situation in Afghanistan during […]
President of Turkmenistan and president-elect of Iran in telephone conversation
President Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan and president-elect Ebrahim Raisi of Iran had a telephone conversation on Tuesday, 20 July 2021. They congratulated each other on the festival of Eid al-Adha and discussed a number of matters of mutual interest. Raisi highlighted the great potential for enhanced partnership and said that Iran considers Turkmenistan as more than […]
Whom Russia is ready to take as companions for solving Afghan puzzle
Elvira Kadyrova Russia strongly supports the settlement of the Afghan situation with the involvement of regional international organizations such as SCO, the CSTO, and the countries bordering Afghanistan. The statement came from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during his remarks at the Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday, 23 June. “It is necessary to […]
As to why Ebrahim Raisi won presidential elections in Iran and what can be expected during his tenure
Tariq Saeedi Who helped Ebrahim Raisi win the presidential elections in Iran? — Donald Trump! This is a purposely ridiculous statement because there is more to it than meets the eye. Look at the timeline: 14 July 2015 – the USA, Iran and other nations announce the nuclear deal. Iran agrees to limit its uranium […]
Outcomes of SPIEF 2021 – Areas of direct relevance for Central Asia – Part One
nCa Report The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is an annual event, being held since 1997. It was initially a platform to discuss development, business and economy within the Russian Federation and CIS but the scope has gradually expanded to make it an occasion of global importance. Since 2006, it has been held under […]
Iran creates free trade zone on border with Turkmenistan
Elvira Kadyrova The Iranian Expediency Council has okayed the creation of a free trade and industrial zone in Incheh-Borun in Golestan province on the border with Turkmenistan, Iranian media reported. Incheh-Boron is one of the key points along the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran rail corridor (north-south). Hadi Haghshenas, the governor of Golestan, confirmed the news and said that […]
Foreign minister of Iran visits Turkmenistan in last leg of Central Asia tour
The foreign minister of Iran, Javad Zarif visited Turkmenistan on 8 April 2021. He had separate meetings with President Berdimuhamedov and foreign minister Rashid Meredov. This was the last leg of his 5-8 April tour of Central Asia. His earlier stops were Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Here is the text of the three pressers of […]
Turkmen gas is a viable competitor of Iran and Russia in Europe – Russian expert
Elvira Kadyrova Turkmen gas, once on the European market, is able to wipe out the position of Russian Gazprom and a deprive Iran of potential market. This point of view was expressed in an interview with the news agency “Vestnik Kavkaza” by Andrey Kazantsev, Doctor of Political Sciences, chief researcher of the Analytical Center of […]
Iran preparing to launch 27 petrochemical projects with total worth of USD 17 billion early next year
Iran is planning to inaugurate 27 petrochemical projects by 1 March 2021 with total value of USD 17 billion. This was reported by the specialized news service of Iran, Shana, on 6 August 2020, quoting the Iranian minister of petroleum, Bijan Zangeneh. Zangeneh, who was addressing the launch ceremony of 3 petrochemical projects, said that […]
Role of China in the changing world
Tariq Saeedi The world was changing anyway; the Covid-19 and the policies of Trump administration have just accelerated the process. The Covid-19 has eaten the entrails of economies of most of the countries. Many of those countries will not be able to restart their economies on their own. China with its BRI (Belt and Road […]