The Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s Visits to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan
The Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s Visits to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan
Bayram Sinkaya, ORSAM Middle East Political Advisor
Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president in 2005, Iran's relations with the West have broken down again. In spite of Western efforts, in particular, US led efforts, to isolate Iran, Iran chose to diversify its foreign policy and to improve its relations with its neighbors. During this period, Iran worked on Africa and Latin America initiatives on one hand, and tried to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the other. Moreover, Iran’s "river basin" extending from the Middle East to the Caucasus, South Asia and Central Asia occupied the top position on the Iran's foreign policy agenda. In contrast to its relations with the West and Israel, Iran avoided creating problems in these areas by emphasizing cooperation. This is the context for Iran’s President Ahmadinejad visit to Turkmenistan and Tajikistan on January 4 and 6, 2010.
Tajikistan has a significant place in Iran’s foreign policy. In an earlier speech, Ahmadinejad described the two countries as “one soul with two bodies.” After Tajikistan declared independence, Iran became the main supporter of the country and made great efforts to end the civil war in Tajikistan. The most important reason for the closeness between Iran and Tajikistan is that they share the same language (Tajik is a dialect of Persian) and the same cultural background. Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan share similar languages and cultures, and have organized meetings between Persian speaking countries. The first Persian Speaking Countries Summit was held on May 11, 1997, and most recent was held on March 9, 2009 in Tehran. A commission was formed to foster the development of cultural cooperation between these three countries. A council consisting of the foreign ministers of these three nations for the oversight and implementation of cooperation agreements that were signed regarding trade, transportation, energy, education, health and security.
In addition to cultural activities, Iran continues to work on major infrastructure investments in Tajikistan. More than 150 Iranian companies are working in Tajikistan on construction projects in a variety of fields. An important part of Iran's investments consists in the construction of roads, tunnels, dams and hydroelectric power plants. Furthermore, road and rail connections ha established to connect Tajikistan to Iran by way of Afghanistan. Cooperation between two countries is also reflected in foreign policy. Tajikistan, a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, supports Iran’s initiatives to join this organization. Tajikistan also supports Iran's "peaceful" nuclear program.
During his most recent visit to Tajikistan, President Ahmadinejad and Tajikistan’s President Emomalii Rahmon called the relationship between the two countries "strategic.” Between Tajikistan and Iran have signed cooperation agreements in the fields of extradition, mining and tourism, and Iran has invested in new projects such as the Iran Istiglal Tunnel, Tude Dam 2 and the construction of energy power plants.
Turkmenistan neighbors one of Iran’s important borders, and it also has an important place in Iran’s foreign policy due to its Caspian Sea coast. The status of the Caspian Sea issue is a matter of dispute between the two countries. In addition, Turkmenistan has become Iran’s largest trading partner in Central Asia with trade volume between two countries exceeding 3 billion dollars in 2009. Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkmenistan targeted increased trade volume between the two countries, and technology, trade and energy cooperation agreements were signed.
Cooperation between Turkmenistan and Iran has two important dimensions, transport and energy. Turkmenistan has an important geographical position, opening Central Asia to Iran, whereas Iran’s important geographical position enables Turkmenistan to reach the Gulf of Basra. Parallel to this geographical complementarity, the two nations decided to merge the railways, and the Meshed-Serahs railway, which began service in 1995, was the first step in this direction. To support this measure, the Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan (Gorgan-Etrak-Uzen) railway agreement was signed in 2007, and during Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkmenistan, the agreement was extended so as to complete theIran-Turkmenistan portion of this line (Gorgan-Etra).
The natural gas trade forms the basis of energy relations between Iran and Turkmenistan. Iran has imported a yearly average of 8 million cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan by way of Körpece-Kurtköy gas pipeline since 1997. In February 2009 the two nations agreed to increase the amount of Turkmenistan's natural gas sold to Iran, and to fulfill this purpose they have been agreed to the construction of a new pipeline between the two countries. In addition, they made a deal on Iran’s natural gas research in Yolatan, part of Turkmenistan, and with this agreement Iran could receive a portion of its natural gas.
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Following the February 2009 agreement, the Devletabad-Serahs-Hangiran gas pipeline, extending from the natural gas fields of Turkmenistan's Devletabad to Iran's Caspian coast, was completed very quickly and the inauguration ofthepipeline took place during Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkmenistan. Turkey's Energy Minister, Taner Yıldız, attended the ceremony. Thus, the amount of Turkmenistan's natural gas sold to Iran is expected to increase from 14 billion to 30 billion cubic meters. Iran is planning to export a greater portion of its own gas, produced in southern Iran, replacing the difference with natural gas from Turkmenistan in northeastern Iran.
During President Ahmedinejad’s visits to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, he signed a series of cooperation agreements and sought support for the Iran's foreign policy. During his meetings in these countries, he asserted that the existing international system had crashed, and pointed out the development of cooperation between countries in the region. During Tajikistan’s President Emomalii Rahmon’s meeting with Ahmedinejad, he expressed his support for Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, and he expressed his desire to solve this problem by diplomatic means. During Ahmedinejad’s meeting of with Turkmenistan President Berdimuhammedov, he praised Turkmenistan's neutral stance towards regional problems. On the other hand, Berdimuhammedov said that Turkmenistan shares very similar ideas about regional affairs with Iran.
In conclusion, although the United States tried to isolate Iran and revive new sanctions against Iran, Iran is strengthening its ties and trade cooperation with its neighboris. Moreover, the question of whether or not Iran’s policy will affect the US remains valid. The answer to this question depends on the nature of of the United States’ concrete steps.
January 18 2010
http://www.orsam.org.tr/en/showArticle.aspx?ID=143
Bayram Sinkaya, ORSAM Middle East Political Advisor
Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president in 2005, Iran's relations with the West have broken down again. In spite of Western efforts, in particular, US led efforts, to isolate Iran, Iran chose to diversify its foreign policy and to improve its relations with its neighbors. During this period, Iran worked on Africa and Latin America initiatives on one hand, and tried to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the other. Moreover, Iran’s "river basin" extending from the Middle East to the Caucasus, South Asia and Central Asia occupied the top position on the Iran's foreign policy agenda. In contrast to its relations with the West and Israel, Iran avoided creating problems in these areas by emphasizing cooperation. This is the context for Iran’s President Ahmadinejad visit to Turkmenistan and Tajikistan on January 4 and 6, 2010.
Tajikistan has a significant place in Iran’s foreign policy. In an earlier speech, Ahmadinejad described the two countries as “one soul with two bodies.” After Tajikistan declared independence, Iran became the main supporter of the country and made great efforts to end the civil war in Tajikistan. The most important reason for the closeness between Iran and Tajikistan is that they share the same language (Tajik is a dialect of Persian) and the same cultural background. Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan share similar languages and cultures, and have organized meetings between Persian speaking countries. The first Persian Speaking Countries Summit was held on May 11, 1997, and most recent was held on March 9, 2009 in Tehran. A commission was formed to foster the development of cultural cooperation between these three countries. A council consisting of the foreign ministers of these three nations for the oversight and implementation of cooperation agreements that were signed regarding trade, transportation, energy, education, health and security.
In addition to cultural activities, Iran continues to work on major infrastructure investments in Tajikistan. More than 150 Iranian companies are working in Tajikistan on construction projects in a variety of fields. An important part of Iran's investments consists in the construction of roads, tunnels, dams and hydroelectric power plants. Furthermore, road and rail connections ha established to connect Tajikistan to Iran by way of Afghanistan. Cooperation between two countries is also reflected in foreign policy. Tajikistan, a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, supports Iran’s initiatives to join this organization. Tajikistan also supports Iran's "peaceful" nuclear program.
During his most recent visit to Tajikistan, President Ahmadinejad and Tajikistan’s President Emomalii Rahmon called the relationship between the two countries "strategic.” Between Tajikistan and Iran have signed cooperation agreements in the fields of extradition, mining and tourism, and Iran has invested in new projects such as the Iran Istiglal Tunnel, Tude Dam 2 and the construction of energy power plants.
Turkmenistan neighbors one of Iran’s important borders, and it also has an important place in Iran’s foreign policy due to its Caspian Sea coast. The status of the Caspian Sea issue is a matter of dispute between the two countries. In addition, Turkmenistan has become Iran’s largest trading partner in Central Asia with trade volume between two countries exceeding 3 billion dollars in 2009. Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkmenistan targeted increased trade volume between the two countries, and technology, trade and energy cooperation agreements were signed.
Cooperation between Turkmenistan and Iran has two important dimensions, transport and energy. Turkmenistan has an important geographical position, opening Central Asia to Iran, whereas Iran’s important geographical position enables Turkmenistan to reach the Gulf of Basra. Parallel to this geographical complementarity, the two nations decided to merge the railways, and the Meshed-Serahs railway, which began service in 1995, was the first step in this direction. To support this measure, the Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan (Gorgan-Etrak-Uzen) railway agreement was signed in 2007, and during Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkmenistan, the agreement was extended so as to complete theIran-Turkmenistan portion of this line (Gorgan-Etra).
The natural gas trade forms the basis of energy relations between Iran and Turkmenistan. Iran has imported a yearly average of 8 million cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan by way of Körpece-Kurtköy gas pipeline since 1997. In February 2009 the two nations agreed to increase the amount of Turkmenistan's natural gas sold to Iran, and to fulfill this purpose they have been agreed to the construction of a new pipeline between the two countries. In addition, they made a deal on Iran’s natural gas research in Yolatan, part of Turkmenistan, and with this agreement Iran could receive a portion of its natural gas.
.
Following the February 2009 agreement, the Devletabad-Serahs-Hangiran gas pipeline, extending from the natural gas fields of Turkmenistan's Devletabad to Iran's Caspian coast, was completed very quickly and the inauguration ofthepipeline took place during Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkmenistan. Turkey's Energy Minister, Taner Yıldız, attended the ceremony. Thus, the amount of Turkmenistan's natural gas sold to Iran is expected to increase from 14 billion to 30 billion cubic meters. Iran is planning to export a greater portion of its own gas, produced in southern Iran, replacing the difference with natural gas from Turkmenistan in northeastern Iran.
During President Ahmedinejad’s visits to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, he signed a series of cooperation agreements and sought support for the Iran's foreign policy. During his meetings in these countries, he asserted that the existing international system had crashed, and pointed out the development of cooperation between countries in the region. During Tajikistan’s President Emomalii Rahmon’s meeting with Ahmedinejad, he expressed his support for Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, and he expressed his desire to solve this problem by diplomatic means. During Ahmedinejad’s meeting of with Turkmenistan President Berdimuhammedov, he praised Turkmenistan's neutral stance towards regional problems. On the other hand, Berdimuhammedov said that Turkmenistan shares very similar ideas about regional affairs with Iran.
In conclusion, although the United States tried to isolate Iran and revive new sanctions against Iran, Iran is strengthening its ties and trade cooperation with its neighboris. Moreover, the question of whether or not Iran’s policy will affect the US remains valid. The answer to this question depends on the nature of of the United States’ concrete steps.
January 18 2010
http://www.orsam.org.tr/en/showArticle.aspx?ID=143