Iran Roads Minister in Ashgabat

Leading an economic delegation, Roads and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami arrived in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat on Tuesday to attend the 15th session of Iran-Turkmenistan Economic Commission.
Accompanying the minister during his two-day visit are Deputy Oil Minister Amir Hossein Zamaninia, the deputy head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, Hossein Selahvarzi, and representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, Central Bank of Iran and the parliament.
Eslami plans to meet Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, as well as several ministers and industry players of the neighboring country, Mehr News Agency reported.
The two countries hope to forge closer business ties, along with their political relations.
Iran’s commercial exchanges with Turkmenistan stood at 753,985 tons worth $409.78 million in the last Iranian year (ended March 20, 2019) to register a 17.58% and 5.04% decline in tonnage and value respectively compared to the year before. Turkmenistan was Iran’s 29th trading partner in the last fiscal year.
Iran exported 735,880 tons of goods worth $400.48 million to Turkmenistan, down 16.56% and 4.3% in tonnage and value respectively year-on-year.
Iran’s exports to Turkmenistan mainly included potato, sugar, steel structures, apple, pipe and profiles, livestock and poultry feed.
The country imported 18,105 tons of commodities worth $9.29 billion from Turkmenistan, down by 45.09% and 28.77% in tonnage and value respectively YOY, most of which constituted oilcake, cotton linter, mineral oil, textile, sesame and beans.