Turkmenistan has expressed its readiness to strengthen cooperation with Iran’s northern ports, particularly Amirabad Port, to boost trade exchanges and freight transportation within the framework of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC). This was announced by Turkmenistan’s Minister of Railway Transport, Mammed Akmammedov, during a meeting with the Governor of Iran’s Mazandaran Province, Mehdi Yousefi Rostami, according to IRNA reported on Monday.

According to the minister, the transport infrastructure in Iran’s northern regions presents new opportunities for strengthening economic ties between the two countries.

The Turkmen minister added that Amirabad Port is a key hub for improving trade and cargo movement between Iran and Turkmenistan.

The International North–South Transport Corridor, which passes through both Iran and Turkmenistan, connects countries around the Indian Ocean with the Baltic Sea and Scandinavia. The geographical location of Mazandaran allows the province to play a strategic role in the development of this trade network, the report noted.

The North–South Corridor is a 7,200-kilometer multimodal route that serves as an alternative link between Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean, bypassing the Suez Canal.